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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28344948">Thistle and Branch</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Litfancy/pseuds/Litfancy'>Litfancy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Angst, Art, Art To Be Added, Blood, Blood and Injury, Canon Typical Violence, Comedy, Comic, Danger, Disaster Twins, Drama, Fighting, Heavy Themes, Horror, Monsters, Morbid, No Incest, No Smut, OC, Original Character - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Violence, artwork, but I promise nobody dies!, death themes mentioned, injuries, just another silly adventure, no shipping don’t worry, rottmnt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:08:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>24,321</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28344948</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Litfancy/pseuds/Litfancy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The boys intercept a call about an oozesquito infestation in a mysterious mystic plant shop and show up to capture the bugs but perhaps they may have bitten off more than they can chew with the mysterious owner and her secrets!</p><p>Artwork included!!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! I got into the fandom very late, binged it, binged EVERYTHING here on ao3 in the tags and needed more content. So I’m here writing fic now to fill the void! I will be the change I want to see in the world! The only issue is, I’m not the most confident writer and am still figuring out how best to capture a writing style like the show so I’ll be editing a lot after the fact hah!</p><p> I’m more of an artist so I’ll definitely be adding artwork here as well to go along with the story! (Once I figure out how I can do that, I’ve seen others do it)</p><p>I’d comic it completely tbh but I’m still learning how to draw the boys atm!<br/>Anyhoo I really hope you enjoy it! If you liked the show I am doing my best to match it in terms of writing style and comedy, and I just want to make it fun! It should be a few chapters and I’ll try to keep em consistently sized, and I’ll be posting updates very soon! So if you like where it’s going, go ahead and bookmark it! I’ll for sure have more ASAP!</p><p>I’d really love to hear from you if you read it! So please comment! It’ll make my day!</p><p>Also I see in a lot of fics here people mentioning a discord server for ROTTMNT 🥺🥺 I would love to join! So please someone lol send me an invite!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Okay this is <em>definitely</em> the place!” Donatello double checked the coordinates on his wrist again to confirm that it was indeed the correct location . It was an older, smallish building wedged between two towering edifices. Honestly they had nearly driven past it in the turtle tank since it was so unassuming. Now however they were geared up and ready to head inside the ‘Thistle and Branch’ plant nursery and garden.</p><p>“You got the bug zapper ready?” Raph asked as he pulled on the helmet of his ‘human exterminator’ disguise. “We aren’t gonna let a single oozequito get away this time.”</p><p>“Of course, who do you take me for, Leo?” He quipped back lightly as Leonardo harrumphed in offense, bouncing over to the door and letting himself in.</p><p>“I’ll have you know Donnie, that I am always prepared!”</p><p>They were greeted by warm air inside the shop. Humid and tinged with the faint smells of plant decay, roses and fertilizer. Leonardo was the first in the door of the old flower shop, wearing his blue exterminators outfit, followed shortly by Raphael, Donnie and Mikey in their matching ensembles. They were here on a bug hunt, having intercepted a distress call from the harried shop owner, a human who was being plagued by giant glowing bugs that turned people into animals. It seemed as though her shop had suddenly become infested with oozesquitos and they were terrorizing her and her customers.</p><p>“Not to worry, the most professional and human exterminators are here on the case Ma’am!” Leo boasted. Nothing but gentle guitar music met them as they spread out into the shop curiously. There were rows and rows of overgrown plants on every surface, and hanging from the ceilings, the walls, everywhere.</p><p>Donnie was the first to notice an oozesquito twitching slightly on the floor to his right, and he creeped closer, plucking it up off the wooden floor as the others filed by. The ugly insect only twitched slightly at his touch and seemed to have been fried by some sort of shock. He stuffed the bug into a jar before he began inspecting several palm trees all huddled together in the corner, looking for more and shaking out the fronds and calling out into the shop,</p><p>“ <em>Hello?</em> We’re here for the oozequitos you reported? Y’know, big, glowing green bugs? Where are you- AAK!”</p><p>He jumped back and the others braced themselves for a fight at the shout, but instead of some monstrous yokai or mutant, a blonde head with round glasses poked out from amongst the fronds right where his hand had just been, staring right at him with a teary eyed look of despair.</p><p>“Thank goodness you’re here! The big green mosquitos! There are like ten of them in here and somehow also up in my greenhouse! I don’t know how they got in!”</p><p> </p><p>“And what, pray-tell, are you doing…hiding amidst the mini palm trees?” Donnie asked, a little thrown off by the sudden appearance of the strange woman.</p><p>“Hiding of course! I saw one bite a customer and the next thing I knew the poor guy turned into a rabbit! Like, a big one! People sized! With hands! I don’t like rabbits and I’d hate to turn into one, so I hid here where I could watch to see if any were coming. Mosquitos that is, not rabbits. My name is Bianca.”</p><p>“Hi Bianca, I’m Mikey!” Mikey waved enthusiastically, introducing himself from his spot by a display of massive orchids.</p><p>“Miss Bianca, you don’t have to hide now, we’ll protect you AND catch all the bugs, but you’re gonna have to show us where they are.” Raph motioned for her to come out of her hiding place, offering a hand, which she took shakily as she stepped out from amongst the tiny trees. She was wearing purple overalls and looked to be in her late twenties.</p><p>“What kinda plant is this one? It looks cool.” Leo called out randomly as he inspected a strange looking flower up close.</p><p> </p><p>
  <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“That’s a bromeliad, there are over 3590 different species, and they are from the same family as the pineapple.” Bianca spouted the info as though she were advertising a product, “ Sorry. I’m still in sales mode. Now you say you are gonna catch all the bugs? People turning into animals is really terrible for business!”</p><p>She had what appeared to be a tennis racket in her hands but upon closer inspection Donnie could see that it was in fact a bug zapper. Ah. That’d explain the fried bug on the floor. He gestured for her to lead the way into the shop. “ Go ahead Bianca and show us where you saw them and we’ll take care of it from there.”</p><p>Leo waved Donnie off “Nonsense Donnie, I’ll go first and you all can follow and play defense until we find the bugs!’</p><p>He slinked off into the shop, and the rest followed, poor Bianca clinging to Raph’s arm like a koala. Mikey took this opportunity to bounce over to her other shoulder and fling an arm around her shoulders grinning widely.</p><p>“You don’t need to worry! My bro’s and I have done this a buuunch of times now, we’ll keep you from turning into any animals!”</p><p>“Well I mean there was that one guy, the bellhop who turned into a bull.” Donnie interjected as he stuck his bo into a bunch of plants and shook it around to scare up any bugs.</p><p>“Hey that was our first try, and we don’t need to make’er anymore upset Don. Like Mikey said Miss Bianca, yer safe with us!” Raph countered his brother as he ducked his head below a row of hanging baskets full of pothos and flowers. “Dang do you really take care of all these plants by yerself? There are so many! Ooh what is THAT one?”</p><p>This time Raph was the one distracted by a plant, one with bright yellow flowers spilling everywhere.</p><p>“You can just call me Bee if you’d like. Miss Bianca makes me feel like I’m a grandma. And Those are freesias, a perennial flower that grows back every year. Now Listen if you guys get rid of all the bugs, I’ll be more than happy to give you a tour and answer all your questions and you each can even take a plant home if you want. But please could we focus on the BUGS AHHH!!!”</p><p>Bee pointed in horror as several oozequitos descended from above as Donatello shook their hiding place in a hanging basket of ferns.<br/>
Two made a beeline directly for her while the rest escaped further into the shop. Before they reached her however a blast of webbing smacked into one, pinning it against the wall. The other bug was set aflame by Mikey with his kusari-fundo, the chain extending almost like a yo-yo and returning the flaming end to him once it had hit his mark.</p><p>“See? We told you you’d <em> Bee </em> alright with us” Leo grinned as he scooped up the gooped bug and the charred remains of the others into a jar of his own. Mikey was the only one that laughed at his terrible pun, the others sighed and groaned.</p><p>“Lookit that! Two down and only eight more to go baby!” Mikey cheered as he ran ahead to keep up with Leo who had opened up his helmet to sniff some pretty purple flowers. Donnie however hopped up onto one of the shelves on the wall suddenly, pulling his goggles on and pushing aside a flower arrangement to reveal a gaping hole in the wall, an old vent missing its cover.</p><p>“I think I’ve found where they have been coming in and out of you guys.”<br/>
He pulled his goggles down to look closer.<br/>
“Yep, this vent is covered in trails of mystic mojo. I assume the ventilation connects up to the greenhouse Bee?.” She affirmed that yes they were connected as he picked up the broken vent cover, turning it over in his hands and scratching at some of the rust.<br/>
“Looks like the screws on this thing rusted through and it fell off. Some new screws and it’ll be shut tight again.” He activated his spider arms and they went straight to work reattaching the vent cover and screwing it back on tightly.</p><p>“See? Good as new, woahhhh.” Donnie had turned to grin and give a thumbs up but with his goggles on now he saw that the entire shop was literally coated in a mystic glow.<br/>
“Uhhh, this place is practically caked with mystic energy guys.” He hopped down and his eyes turned to Bee who looked nervous. “Raph get away from her!”</p><p>Donnie pulled out his bo and pointed it at Bee accusingly as Raph stepped away, confused by his brothers sudden change of mood. The other two had also turned to look, Leo pulling out his odaichi as well just in case. She yelped and held her hands up in front of her.</p><p>“Wait wait what’s wrong?! What did I do?” Bee asked in a panic as she backed away from the turtles, dropping her bug zapper.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>“Why don’t <em>you</em> tell us? I can see mystic energy practically dripping off you! You’re human yeah but why are you covered in magic? You didn’t even blink an eye when you met us when we are clearly turtles. Was this a trap?” Donnie accused, circling around to cut her off from a potential escape. Mikey gasped from his spot behind Leo.</p><p>“Oh mi gosh Donnie is she actually a mutant? Is your name even really Bee? Or are you a <em>giant bee!</em>” He also pulled out his kusari-fundo, ready to attack.</p><p>“No I’m not actually a bee! I’m just a regular human!” She pleaded, “ What’s going on? I thought most yokai in the area knew about my shop, didn’t you get sent here by Big Mama?”</p><p>“<b>Big Mama?!</b>” The boys all shouted in unison at the mention of the spider woman. Anytime Big Mama was involved it always spelled trouble for the turtles and now they were all on high alert, expecting the small woman in front of them to attack.</p><p>“Listen lady you better start explaining what’s going on here” Leo called out as he stepped closer, his sword glimmering like he was ready to rip a portal open at any second for him and his brothers to escape. At this point Bee looked ready to faint on the spot with all their weapons aimed at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay just don’t hurt me! Most of the yokai I’ve met so far have been super nice! I’m not gonna hurt you guys! I’m just a gardener, a human gardener!” She exclaimed,</p><p>“My family has run this shop for generations and I finally took over it four years ago when I finished my training. We sell plants and vegetables to humans yes, but we also care for and sell lots of magic plants and herbs for yokai that can’t grow in the Hidden City. I thought everyone down there knew about us since it’s been around for ages!” She fiddled with her gloves nervously. “Most of your kind come in disguised as humans, but I have seen a few in their real forms like you guys, so I didn’t want to be rude!”</p><p>“So how do you know Big Mama then?” Raph asked suspiciously, still eyeballing her like she was going to turn into a giant spider herself any second.</p><p>“ I told you! My family has run this shop for generations. She’s been one of my family’s best customers for ever, we provide a lot of food stuff and medicinal herbs to her for her hotel. When I finally stepped up to take over Big Mama came over to introduce herself personally cause she’s some sort of big deal in the Hidden City. The shop’s under her protection for any mystic type troubles, which is why I assumed you guys worked for her when you showed up undisguised.”</p><p>The boys all looked at each other.</p><p>“How could you work for Big Mama, Bee?” Mikey pouted from his spot behind Leo.</p><p>“More importantly, how do we know she’s telling the truth Miguel.” Leo interjected. Bee groaned aloud.</p><p>“I don’t work for Big Mama, she just happens to buy flower arrangements from me! And you are yokai! Why don’t you guys know about my shop? Ask anyone and they’ll be able to vouch for me JUST by my shops name I swear!”</p><p>“We aren’t yokai, but I know just the one I can call to check your story!” Leo whipped out his phone dramatically and dialed someone up, never letting his odaichi falter.</p><p>“Helloooooo Bonemannnn! It’s me, el blue pepinillo. Your <em>favorite</em>.” He grinned at his brothers as he spoke with none other than Señor Hueso, the skeletal pizzeria owner.</p><p>“ Listen I got an important question! You ever heard of a shop topside called ‘Thistle and Branch?’... Uh huh….. Yeah?...<em>How</em> long?...Yeah no we’re here right now…<em>No </em> we haven’t done anything what are you our dad?...<em>Seriously?.... And you’re sure of that?...Mmkay byeeee!” </em></p><p> </p><p>Leo hung up with a flourish and looked to his brothers silently, pausing for the drama.<br/>
“Sooooo…...She’s legit.” He stashed his sword and the rest of the gang visibly relaxed. “Hueso even orders from here himself. This is where he gets his ghost peppercinis.”</p><p>“Ooh I love those!” Raph said cheerfully, no longer concerned. “So if she’s got the Hueso seal of approval, I say we get back to what we came for.” He put his tonfas away and turned back to Bee. “I’m sorry if we scared you. Big Mama isn’t really a fan of ours, so we get a little on edge when she’s mentioned.”</p><p>“So, I’m off the hook now? You’re not gonna beat me into a pulp?” She asked cautiously, lowering her hands slowly. “I really am just human alright? The mystic stuff is just something my family passed down to me.” She pushed her glasses back up her nose anxiously. “ Although I didn’t know yokai came from giant bugs. Nobody ever told me that.”</p><p>“No no the bugs are just mutating the people they bite. They’re mutants, not yokai.” Leo answered as Bee picked her bug zapper back up.</p><p>“Wait! How do we know that things not dangerous?” Donnie interrupted, still suspicious of Bee. She sighed and pressed the button and touched the metal netting with her own hand. It popped as it zapped her. “Ow, see. I even touched it myself, it’s not gonna hurt any of you. It’s just for bugs. Now, can we go ahead and enter the greenhouse? It’s been a stressful day and I don’t want to become a mutant bee for real.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Here’s a full ref of Bee!</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you have fun reading the fic and let me know please what you think I am desperate for feedback haha!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Entering the mystic greenhouse, we follow Mikey, Donnie and the mysterious Bee when the gang decided splitting up is their only option. What could possible go wrong in a massive greenhouse full of dangerous mystic plants?</p><p>TW: BLOOD , CUTTING</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Investigating the rest of the first floor proved mostly uneventful for the boys. Aside from Leo deciding they didn’t need to wear their exterminator disguises anymore.</p><p>“She knows we aren’t human so why bother with em?’ He said as he pressed a button to remove the suit. “Besides it ruins my silhouette and my hips don’t like to lie.” The others followed suit after his reasoning, all changing back to their comfortable regular looks. Donatello was still suspicious of Bee despite his brothers evidence from Señor Hueso, so as they began to fan out again in search of the pesky mosquitos, he preferred to stick close to her; ready to attack the moment she might try to betray them.</p><p>“Donnie I don’t think there are any more down here, we’ve shook out like every begonia and fern.” Raph called out from a table covered in tiny office floral arrangements. “They must’ve all gone up the vent before you locked it down. We need to go up to the greenhouse.”</p><p> </p><p>Bee pointed out a door in the back as they approached, “The stairs are right through there I just need to get the keys real quick…” She began digging through her pockets, putting Donnie on high alert again.</p><p>“Don’t try anything funny alright, I’m watching you” he ignored his brothers groans at his behavior. He wasn’t gonna get tricked by a parental aged figure again, especially not one with connections to Big Mama. Bee pulled out a ring of keys and jangled them in front of him.</p><p>“See kid? They are just keys alright relax. Now listen everyone. I don’t really allow just anyone up into the greenhouse. There are plants up there that can be dangerous if they are mishandled. And that’s just the regular ones.” She fished out one key in particular and began unlocking the door.</p><p>“Now the mystic plant life are very fragile and can also be dangerous. I don’t let humans up here, or many yokai either so just please. Be delicate! And I feel like I shouldn’t have to say it but I’m going to anyways -don’t eat anything you find even if it looks really tasty okay? It could be medicinal or poisonous or have something on it. Mikey.”</p><p>She looked pointedly at the smaller orange turtle. Just a few minutes ago he had plucked some blueberries off a bush in the store and spat them out instantly cause the flavor was terrible. They had been covered with a pesticide and were in a quarantine from her other blueberries. But he didn’t know and had helped himself and they had needed to rinse his mouth to get out the bad flavor.</p><p>“Lesson learned Bee! Scouts honor!” He perked up and saluted her. Poor Bee sighed.</p><p>“If anything I definitely have charcoal tablets and antidotes for most things in my first aid kits up there. They are stationed around various areas. Let’s just get it over with.” She pulled the door open and they were met with the stairs.</p><p> </p><p>Mikey bounded up the staircase two at a time leading up to the greenhouse and swung the double doors wide open. After seeing what the shop looked like he was excited to see what a full greenhouse would be like. And it did not disappoint. There had to be some mystic mumbo-jumbo going on, because the room looked much bigger than it physically appeared from the outside. The building was only a small and squat two story but from inside the greenhouse It seemed like it was a massive atrium, with a plethora of flowers and shrubs and trees as far as you could see with a big glass roof and bright lights. To their left it appeared to be a lush jungle while to their right there seemed to be agricultural fields, currently being watered by a sprinkler system. Mikey laughed excitedly and began doing cartwheels through the rows of peppers and carrots close by.</p><p>“Woah, wait this place is like a football field! Like, ten football fields! How is it so big? Your shop was pretty regular sized.” Raph gawked at the sheer size of the place. Downstairs he had hardly had room to walk without bumping into things whereas here he’d have to throw something hard for it to maybe graze the ceiling. The light streaming down looked like broad daylight, which was extra disconcerting considering it had been early evening when they first arrived.</p><p>“My grandma once told me they had a huge issue with zoning permits or something when they were first building a couple hundred years ago so they traded for some magic nonsense. Now the place expands whenever we need more room for plants or different ecosystems so yeah. Don’t ask me how exactly it works, I just accept it and move on.” Bee answered, tucking her keys back into her pocket.</p><p>“How are we supposed to find eight bugs in a place this big?” Leo asked now as they moved in further. Mikey cartwheeled over to them and piped up “I think we’re gonna have to split up to find them all you guys.”</p><p>Raph crossed his arms and frowned at the group as he thought. “Mikey’s right, I think splitting up is going to be our best option here guys.”</p><p>“Ooh dibs on seeing all the vegetables and mystic ingredients!” Mikey waved his hand enthusiastically but Donnie cut him off.</p><p>“Raph no, I don’t think it’s a good idea. We can’t just trust her and she said it herself that this place is full of poisonous and dangerous plants. There’s not telling what else might be creeping around. We should stick together.” He argued, shooting a distrustful side eye at Bee who looked offended as she pushed her big glasses back up her nose.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>“Donnie everything’ll be fine, and we’re not gonna split up entirely. You keep an eye on Mikey and Bee while Leo and I stick together. You take the fields, it’ll be easier to spot the bugs so Bee doesn’t accidentally get bit. We’ll take the jungle path. Call to check in every thirty minutes or if you need backup.”</p><p>Donnie pouted and then sighed. “Fine, I suppose it would be the most efficient plan. Do you all have your containment units?”</p><p>“Donnie, they’re jars.” Leo pulled out his own jar with two bugs in it and shook it carelessly. “And we’re all set hermano let’s hop to it!”</p><p>Mikey grabbed onto Bee’s arm happily, dragging her along his chosen path while Donnie skulked behind them as Raph and Leo disappeared down the overgrown jungle path in the opposite direction. “Now show me where you grow those ghost peppercini Bee! Can I trade my plant for a jar of those when we leave?”</p><p>“Sure why not? I’ve got plenty already pickled and ready to go whenever.” Mikey cheered when she answered, Donnie however kept silent as he followed along, his suspicions never left and he was ready for the figurative shoe to drop at any second. Just like his brothers to leave him watching Mikey AND a potential enemy. Mikey was busy dragging Bee back and forth from one plant to another now, excited to see so many different vegetables and asking random questions, about their growth cycles, about the dirt they were walking on, the grow lights high above their heads.</p><p>No bugs were kicked up during his exploration so they continued along the path as the rows of vegetables faded into rows and rows of flowers and the soil beneath their feet grew softer. There were roses, sunflowers, aromatic jasmine vines climbing up lattices. Giant wisteria that seemed to glow on their own, massive vines creeping across the ground with small glowing mushrooms growing in the shade. Donnie didn’t have to wear his goggles now to see the mystic energy that seemed to ooze up from the very ground itself. He stooped down to collect a soil sample to study later in his lab, scooping it into a ziplock bag and stashing it in his pack before he spotted some movement to his right. About fifty yards down a row of lightly glowing blue roses he saw two oozequitos perched on a flower.</p><p>“Mikey you stay back and keep an eye on her, I’ve spotted two bugs over here. I’ll take care of them.” He called out as he pulled out his zapper, aiming as he creeped up slowly, trying not to spook the insects from their stationary point.</p><p>SPLAT!</p><p>He shot a blast of goop and it managed to hit both bugs at once, gluing them to the flower. The bugs tried in vain to fly off as he cheered his perfect shot.<br/>“Nailed it! A perfect two for one! What a shot!” He approached pulling out his jar and unscrewing the lid to stash the pesky bugs.</p><p>“Oh Donnie wait, those flowers are mystic, be careful you don’t prick yourself on them! Just let me- “ Bee called out to warn him as he reached for the bugs with an uncovered hand.<br/>“Ouch! What is this!” Literally as she was warning him though he was stabbed by an especially large thorn on the rose he hadn’t seen. The jar fell from his other hand as he quickly gripped the opposite wrist. His bleeding finger seemed to be <em> burning </em> and the sensation was quickly creeping throughout his whole hand. He began sweating profusely as he fell back onto the ground, seizing up from a flare of pain that pulled a surprised yelp from him. The burning sensation that suddenly shot up his arm from the small pinprick was overwhelming. It was like a lightning strike and was quickly overtaking his whole body.<br/>Mikey shouted in fear as he and Bee ran over to his brother.</p><p>“Ohmigosh Bee what do we do!” He hollered as he made to grab his brother to help him sit up as Donnie began tipping over. She waved him away as she grabbed Donnie’s injured hand and pointed in the direction they had been walking.</p><p>“Four rows up and fifteen to your left there will be a little shed, inside it attached to the wall is a first aid kit, go run and bring it back here he’s going to need an antidote.” Mikey nodded and ran off in a panic leaving Donnie alone with Bee.</p><p>“W-wait Mikey don’t leave me alone with her!” Donnie tried stammering out but the pain flaring up his arm and throughout his body was immobilizing. His whole body was seizing up again and he panicked internally when he saw Bee reach into her pocket and pull out a pocket knife, flicking out the blade and moving it to his wrist. She pried his other hand off and pushed it out of the way.</p><p>“I’m sorry sugar this’ll hurt but I gotta be quick, you are already seizing up. It might feel like it’s spreading but that’s your nerves I gotta catch it before it gets your system.”<br/>Without preamble she sliced across his bare wrist. Strangely enough his blood didn’t come welling out instantly in a gush. It was slow and took a second to even begin trickling. Even more strange was her clamping her mouth around the wound she had created and beginning to suck blood out, spitting it onto the floor next to them. Within a few of these Donnie’s body actually began to relax, he even felt as though the burning sensation inside his arm was receding with every pull. She was siphoning the poison right out of his body.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>The gruesome scene Mikey returned to was horrific at first. His brother lay, eyes closed and panting on the ground, sweat covering his whole body and looking a little discolored while Bee was crouched over him, her mouth attached to his wrist and blood all over the floor around her and on her face, looking like a vampire draining his brothers life. Before he had a chance to freak out though she raised her head and spit out another mouthful of contaminated blood and waved him over to them rapidly.</p><p>“Quick now Mikey, bring the kit over here and open it up, I think I’ve pulled out the most I can without causing harm. We just have to neutralize the rest that may still be in there.” Mikey was frozen in terror though until Donnie opened an eye and gave him a thumbs up.</p><p>“S’okay Mikey, she was getting the poison out so it wouldn’t hurt me anymore. I’m feeling better already.” Donnie called out to him, moving now to slowly sit up and show Mikey he was indeed feeling better already.</p><p>Michaelangelo rushed over with the kit and dropped to his knees beside his brother. He passed the kit over to Bee who had him hold Donnie’s wrist up out of the dirt. The blood was flowing as it normally would now and making a mess. Without missing a beat Bee tore the kit open and pulled out a wad of gauze for Mikey to hold tightly over the cut on Donnie’s wrist to staunch the bleeding. There were several small vials of various colors and she pulled out a tiny red vial with a dropper attached. She shook it up and opened it away from their faces, a tiny plume of red vapor puffing out into the air and dissipating quickly. Once it cleared she used the dropper to drip a single drop on the initial thorn injury, which steamed.<br/>“Okay Mikey now let me get to that cut as well real quick. Don’t cover it again til the vapor disappears. Then we can clean them up and wrap them.” He followed her instructions and she dropped three droplets of the antidote across the whole slash, which also steamed for a moment or two. Once it was safe to cover again she went about cleaning and dressing the injury. Mikey helped Don to sit up all the way now, hugging him in relief.<br/>“Phew we did it! You’re gonna be okay now honey I promise.” Bee wiped her sleeve across her brow.</p><p>“Mind telling us what the heck even was that?” Donnie asked, somewhat muffled by Mikey’s overbearing hug.</p><p>“I told you, a lot of the mystic plants can be dangerous if not handled carefully. Those are FireSpit</p><p>flowers. When used properly they are an important ingredient for medications and potions. It’s used to treat hypothermia and damage from cold. But the raw plant entering the bloodstream is extremely painful and toxic. I had to get as much of the poison out of your blood before it circulated to your heart as possible, so sorry for scaring you.” She wiped her sleeve now across her face to try and scrub his blood from her cheeks.</p><p>“They’re called FireSpit flowers cause they feel like fire, and the spit part is a reminder for how to treat it. You have the antidote now so you’ll be fine, but the antidote can be dangerous as well if you use too much, which is why I had to remove so much blood I’m sorry. You’ll probably be a little lightheaded for the rest of the day; maybe a snack would help.”</p><p>“I’ve got something!” Mikey piped up, “And wow Bee you were so fast too <em>and </em> you knew exactly where the closest first aid kit was! Do you really have to deal with dangerous plants like this all the time? You aren’t scared?” Mikey asked in awe, pulling half a melted candy bar out of his pack and offering it to Don, who took it and munched without a fuss.</p><p>Bee turned to the flowers near them with the oozequitos still neatly gooped together and attached to the flower, reaching into yet another pocket to pull out a heavy looking pair of gloves. She slipped them on and pulled the pocket knife out again as well.</p><p>“Well I’ve been training to care for these plants since before I could walk. I’ve learned all their secrets and how important they are and how to help each one of them grow to their full potential.”</p><p>With the knife, she neatly sliced the stem of the flower at a 45 degree angle and placed the entire flower as well as its gooey prisoners inside Donatello’s mason jar before screwing the lid on tightly.</p><p>“So no, I’m not afraid of any of them. You just have to be prepared.” She handed the jar over to Donnie, who inspected the bugs and flower inside, clearly stewing in his mind for a moment.</p><p>“I’m sorry Bee. For being so rude and suspicious of you.” He finally admitted. “Thank you.” He smiled at her, a smile that seemed to be asking for forgiveness, puppy eyes and all. She smiled back sweetly as well.</p><p>“It’s alright sugar. I think I understand why you were upset. Now let’s just take a little rest here for a bit and call your brothers to let them know what’s going on. I wouldn’t want them to worry about y’all.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Art note the boys are FUN to draw and color BUT  their designs are difficult lol I have to use a lot of ref and it takes foreeever but I love it!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We tune into Raph and Leo on their own bug hunt. Leo is just as much of a troublemaker as you’d expect.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The jungle path was overgrown in many places as Raphael and Leonardo ran along, jumping over obstacles and keeping their eyes peeled for any more oozequitos. The trees grew close together in most places, making it difficult to stray from the path if they had even wanted and already Raph had gotten to smash one of the pesky bugs straight away when they entered. Every now and again the trees would open up to reveal orderly rows of trees with fruit or nuts hanging from them. As tempting as it was to grab a snack or two Raph had learnt his lesson already from Mikey and the blueberries earlier. There was no way of knowing <em>what </em> was on that fruit. It was cool to see where mangos came from though when they ran through that particular orchard.</p>
<p>“Ohhhh Raphie? Which way should we go darling brother of mine?” Leo pulled to a halt when the path ahead forked, calling to Raph in a singsong voice. Neither path really stood out to the pair, they were equally worn and overgrown just the same. Down the left path however Raph could see a ladder up ahead against a tree.</p>
<p>“Let’s see what’s going on over there. We know the oozequitos are attracted to carbon dioxide right? Maybe they’d be drawn to places where people were. So if Bee was workin here earlier maybe they’d still be hangin around.”</p>
<p>Leo shrugged at Raph’s logic “Your guess is as good as mine big bro. Maybe we’ll get lucky and all the bugs will be chillin out right there for us to snag all at once.”</p>
<p>They took the left path, and as they drew closer the trees were thinning out once again. The soil beneath their feet began to change as well, becoming softer and more sandy; the air they breathed becoming more humid by the step. They made it to the ladder which was leaning up against a tall, gnarly tree with wide leaves at the top and some sort of large fruit. They had simply discovered another large orchard of fruit trees, fruit scattered across the ground.</p>
<p>“Aw it’s just a bunch of coconut trees Raph. No fun, I hate coconut.” Leo bemoaned as he picked up a large green coconut from the ground.</p>
<p>“Leo put that down, we’re not supposed to touch any plant type stuff if we can help it remember?” Raph scolded his brother as he looked around.</p>
<p>Leo booed and then tossed the coconut like a basketball hollering, “Kobeee!!”</p>
<p>It landed on the ground with a solid thud and Leo continued to wander amongst the coconut trees absentmindedly, picking them up occasionally and shaking it by his ear before tossing it back to the ground or shooting it like a basketball.</p>
<p>“And it’s the PERFECT shot, amazing! Neon Leon has single handedly won the gameeeee!” He continued on like that praising himself as he went through the trees.</p>
<p>Raph spotted a wheelbarrow nearby that was piled high with the fruit, as well as several tarps and a small bench with a roof. Oddly enough by the bench there was a helmet with a few good dents and cracks in it, some large garden shears and a strange looking umbrella. He ambled over to investigate it up close. At least it looked like an umbrella; it was made of metal and the spokes were wide and flat. Like an umbrella that was missing the plastic part to keep the rain out. It’d be useless in the rain. Another thump nearby interrupted his train of thought and he yelled at Leo, “Quit throwing the dang coconuts dude you’re gonna break one.”<br/>“I’m not throwing anyyyy” Leo answered from somewhere amidst the trees behind him. There came another thump and Raph rolled his eyes and turned back to the strange contraption.<br/>He picked up the weird metal umbrella out of curiosity. <em> Wow </em> was that thing heavy!</p>
<p>“We’re inside though, it doesn’t even rain in here. Why the heck would Bee need such a heavy umbrella? What would it even do?”</p>
<p>He held it up above his head, he couldn’t imagine Bee carrying this heavy thing around. And what was up with that helmet? It was busted up badly. Did she wear the helmet while on the ladder and fall off?<br/>Another thump sounded nearby. Followed by another further off. What the heck was Leo doing back there, juggling? He turned in annoyance.</p>
<p>“Leo knock it off already, you’re gonna break something-“</p>
<p>He was met with silence. Leonardo was nowhere to be found.</p>
<p>Raph was alone.</p>
<p>“Leo? Where’d you go? You know I get weird when I’m alone!” Raph called out again, beginning to feel that rising panic stir. He took a step forward -</p>
<p>KLAAANG!!!!</p>
<p>The strange metal umbrella he was still holding up was hit hard suddenly by something, ringing out like a bell. Raph turned and took a defensive stance, but?<br/>There was nothing there. Just another coconut on the ground.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“What the heck is going on here?” He stooped down to pick it up, turning the fruit in his free hand slowly. He lowered the heavy umbrella to the floor, but as soon as he did something hit him HARD on the back of his shell. He dropped the fruit and pulled his tonfas out, powering up for a fight,<br/>“Power smash jutsu!”<br/>He turned to defend himself again but once again there was nobody there. He let the jutsu go and truly began to freak out. He was alone, and someone was attacking him. Someone he couldn’t see.</p>
<p>“Leo where are you?! Come out man this ain’t funny anymore!”</p>
<p>He was just about to whip out his phone to call for backup when he saw it.</p>
<p>Thunk!</p>
<p>A coconut fell and hit the roof of the small bench and rolled off onto the sandy floor and suddenly everything made sense. The broken helmet, the covered seating, the strange heavy umbrella.</p>
<p>The trees. The coconuts were falling from the trees and were a hazard! The helmet was cracked! That meant they probably fell on people all the time! Leo must’ve been smashed in the head by a falling coconut! Can a person even die from a coconut strike? As if to answer his question, a coconut took this opportunity to fall off the tree above him and hit him directly on one of his hands.</p>
<p>CRACK!</p>
<p>“YEEOWWCH!!” He hollered, jumping back and grabbing his poor finger that felt like it had just been shattered by the impact. Okay, those things definitely could kill a guy if it hit them fast enough in the head. Once the pain lessened to an angry throb he grabbed the umbrella and held it firmly above his head, a hundred percent certain of its purpose now and began to look for Leo.</p>
<p>“Leon! If you can hear me, say something! Make some noise!”</p>
<p>Raph was met with silence once again, but now he knew his little brother was still here somewhere. He just needed to find him quickly.</p>
<p>KLAAANG!!</p>
<p>Another coconut landed on top of the umbrella and rolled off onto the sand with a soft plop. Sheesh no wonder Bee had this heavy thing, it needed to be strong enough that it wouldn’t break after getting hit over and over by the projectile fruit. He moved in deeper into the trees, scanning the sand for footprints or a hint of blue anywhere- there! There he was!</p>
<p>“Leo!” Raph ran to his brother who was lying prone in the sand, facedown. He made sure the umbrella was covering both their heads as he knelt down and gently flipped his brother onto his back. The miserable bump and bleeding gash on poor Leo’s sand encrusted forehead confirmed Raph’s theory about an attempted murder by coconut. At least he was breathing. The culprit lay in the sand right next to Leo’s head, staining the sand with red.</p>
<p>“I can’t believe this. Leo? Can you hear me? It’s time to wake up bud.” Raph gently tapped Leo on the cheek, worriedly trying to wake him, but to no avail. He pulled out a few first aid supplies out of his own little pack. A small bottle of water, and some gauze. He cracked the bottle open and rinsed the sand out of the injury and off Leo’s face, which seemed to do a better job of rousing him than talking because Leo spluttered suddenly and opened his eyes.</p>
<p>“Owwwww. Raphie what’dja do?” Leo complained, blinking slowly as Raph tried to gently wrap Leo’s forehead with the gauze.<br/>“You ran off and got nailed by a coconut Leon. It coulda killed you!” Leon frowned at Raph’s answer.</p>
<p>“No way Raph, that would be so embarrassing. That’s something that’d happen to Dee not me.” Leo tried to wave off Raph’s concerns casually but it wasn’t particularly effective considering he could barely keep both eyes open at once.</p>
<p>KLAAANG!</p>
<p>“Waah!” Leo yelped, suddenly wide awake with the horrible ringing that echoed loudly right around them. The coconut rolled into the sand and plopped down right next to them. Raph pointed at it.</p>
<p>“See. Evidence. Those things are dropping like Black Friday prices. We need to be more careful. Now. You feeling good enough to get outta this coconut death trap?”</p>
<p>“Ugh yes please, I hate coconut and they definitely heard me say that earlier and are out for revenge.” Raph helped Leo get up slowly but hesitated when he saw how Leo was swaying on the spot. Making up his mind, he scooped his younger brother up much to the smaller turtles indignation and made his way back to the path they had initially strayed from. After grumbling a bit Leon settled down and accepted his fate. Once they got back to the path that was clear of any trees that might drop things on them, Raph put the umbrella down.</p>
<p>“So goin this way was a complete bust. So much for getting lucky.” Raph walked back down the path to the fork before putting Leo down gently. He was already looking much better considering the hit he must have taken.<br/>“You good to walk now? You can climb up on my shell and chill if you wanna y’know. “ He offered.</p>
<p>“Nah hermano, I’m good. Ready to get these bugs and call it a day my man. Now onward we march!” Leo pulled out his odaichi to point down the path dramatically. Raph seemed to believe him about feeling better though and let Leo lead the way.</p>
<p>As they wound their way down the path, Leon could feel the soil changing again, this time to a softer darker dirt. The smells around them changed as well, getting more musty and damp as they progressed. His head was killing him but he’d never admit it. He’d ask Don in private later to check it out cause he’s pretty sure his brain was knocked loose and currently rattling around his skull like a pinball.</p>
<p>The trees began spreading out again making it easier to see in between them. Instead of opening up to another orchard of neatly lined up trees though, more bushes and shrubbery seemed present. A few even began to appear with strange coloring and leaves, mystic power lifting off them like spores in the breeze.</p>
<p>“Raph looks like we’ve found some mystic type plants finally instead of boring regular ones. Look at those mushrooms!” Leo strayed off the beaten path a bit to get a better look. The mushrooms were lightly orange and speckled, the caps about the size of a football, but with long tendrils dangling from their edges like ribbon. They were growing up and wrapping around the side of a tree, almost like a little tasseled staircase.</p>
<p>“Lee we need to focus on the bugs man. Don’t touch those they look freaky.”</p>
<p>“I’m not gonna touch them, I was- d’you hear something?” He interrupted himself suddenly, ears straining. Was that, music? A few more notes drifted his way. “Yeah somebody is definitely playing music over here Raph.”</p>
<p>From back on the path Raph strained to hear what Leo was talking about<br/>“I’m not hearin’ anything Lee. You sure it isn’t just in your head?”</p>
<p>“Why would my brain be playing <em> country</em> music of all things?”</p>
<p>Leon frowned. He was definitely hearing music, it drifted in and out faintly but he could hear a twangy guitar and some faint vocals floating through the air.</p>
<p>“It’s coming from this direction. Maybe somebody is up here after all?” He followed the sound deeper into the trees despite Raph’s annoying reminders to stick to the path and not touch anything.</p>
<p>Raph stomped in annoyance. There goes Leo, running off on his own again without a care in the world, chasing some phantom music playing in his head. Sighing, he decided to stick close to his brother this time and delicately stepped off the beaten path into the forest to follow Leonardo, who was already disappearing between trees as he chased- wait. Raph heard it. A warbling guitar twanged quietly in the distance.</p>
<p>“I guess it wasn’t all in his head then.” He admitted to himself aloud. “Lee wait for me!” He continued to follow Leo’s pathway through the plants, the gentle music growing more clear every step, definitely country like Leo said if the harmonica that cut into the warbling guitars wasn’t a big enough clue. There also seemed to be vocals now, although one seemed a bit out of tune compared to the others.</p>
<p>The trees were spreading thinner again, and now there seemed to be even less shrubbery and floor cover as well. The soil was getting gravelly and rough, like coarse lava rocks, and it seemed the earth itself was warming up beneath his feet. He knew Bee said that the greenhouse supported different ecosystems, but the fact that it could change so drastically from one area to another was still pretty wild to him. The ground itself now was also giving off a faint glow of mystic energy, which to Raph could only spell trouble.</p>
<p>“Leo get back here, I don’t think we should be in this area.”</p>
<p>“Well that’s weird.”<br/>Raph looked up to see Leo standing next to a small table in the middle of a nearly empty meadow. On the table sat an old stereo that was playing some country album loudly from its speakers, a song about lost loves and working the land. The earth was bare and dry and crumbly all around them and oddly enough, sprinkled generously with, salt?<br/>Another wheelbarrow sat nearby full of salt with two large sacks of rock salt and a shovel leaning against it and a heavy trail of salt encircling the entire meadow. Well. Not the entire meadow, just the large tree that grew dead center in it. There were areas where the salt was raked evenly across the ground as well, coating it all like a layer of confectioners sugar on a pastry.</p>
<p>“Hey isn’t salt like, bad for plants? I wonder why she’s got so much here, nothing can grow now cause of it.” Leo knelt down to pick up a pinch of salt from the ground. “Like it’s practically a salted desert except for that weird tree. Geez I can’t take this music anymore.” He got back up and clicked the power button on the stereo shutting off the song as a man yodeled loudly about his pickup truck and drinking a beer. “Bee’s got terrible taste in music, nobody should have to listen to that racket when they work, it’s basically torture.”</p>
<p>Leon heard Raph grumble something unintelligible and rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>“No need to get mad Raphie we’ll get back to the bug hunt ASAP!” He grinned back at Raph who was standing by the wheelbarrow inspecting its contents curiously.</p>
<p>“I didn’t say anything Leon, but we should get back. I think it’s about time to call the others anyways.”</p>
<p>Raph dug out his phone as Leon grumbled something rude behind him.</p>
<p>“Hey no need for the attitude mister ‘runs off every three seconds because I have undiagnosed adhd’” Raph countered as he flicked through his contacts to Donnie’s number and gave him a call.</p>
<p>“I didn’t <em> say <em> anything Raph, geez.” Leo whined as he wandered closer to the tree to see if any bugs were hanging around it.</em></em></p>
<p>
  <em> <em>“I said you’re so ugly the doctor must’ve slapped your Mama when she had you Blue!” Said a gravelly voice out of nowhere.</em> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> <em>Leo almost gave himself whiplash with how fast he turned to look at the tree. It stood there silently, alone in the middle of the salt field. He came closer, looking up into the branches and walking around the entire thing but there was nobody there.</em> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> <em>“Okay I definitely got hit in the head harder than I thought.” He closed his eyes and rubbed his tender forehead delicately. “I must have brain damage cause I swear-“</em> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> <em>“Brain damage wouldn’t surprise me with a mug like that!” The tree croaked out before barking in laughter. Leo thought his eyes might bug out of his head. The tree. Had just spoken to him. Scratch that. The tree had just dissed him.</em> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> <em>“Raaaaph? The tree is talking to me.” He called back to his brother as he moved even closer to inspect the tree, trying to figure out where its voice was coming from. </em> </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em><em>Raphael was on the edge of the salted circle and had his phone to his ear and a frown on his face.</em> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> <em> “Donnie got poisoned? But he’s okay now right? - Leon I’m on the phone!-“ Raph turned and ignored Leon’s attempt to interrupt his convo on the phone with Mikey. He was worried now about his brainiac brother, but from the sounds of things they were okay for now. “Do you guys want me to come get him? We can stash him and Leon in the tank and finish up without them….Yeah Leo got hit in the head with a coconut but he’s mostly fine now. For a second there I thought he was losing it cause he said he heard music but then I could hear it too so we….yeah no Leo followed it so we’re here in the field where you left the music playing….What? ….No he turned it off we….Leo!”</em> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> <em>A sudden yell of terror behind him pulled him away from his phone call and he turned in time to see Leo somehow tangled high up in the branches of the tree that was <em>moving<em>.<br/>“Raph! The tree is alive! It’s ALIIVE!!” Leo screamed as branches as thick as pythons were tugging at his odaichi, pulling it from his hand and dropping it down to the ground below as they wrapped around his torso like a vice. He was quickly becoming encased in the wood as it slithered around him.</em></em></em> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> <em> <em> <em>“I’m coming Leo!” Raph’s phone fell from his hands in his haste to pull out his tonfas, powering up to smash his brother free. “Power Smash Jutsu!” </em> </em> </em> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> <em> <em> <em>He activated the red mystic power arms and aimed right for where Leo was disappearing, jumping up and smashing through all sorts of branches until his could wrap the hand around Leo and yank his brother free. Leo’s yelling was incomprehensible as he was nearly entirely cocooned in a hard casing of wood with only a part of his face and shoulder visible, it had all happened so quickly. </em> </em> </em> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> <em> <em> <em>Raph landed on the ground a few feet away from the tree with his brother in his power hands and started to try and rip the casing open, when suddenly heavy roots shot up from the ground itself smashing him shell first into the side of the tree trunk. On the impact he had dropped Leo back onto the ground and the tree bent over and scooped him back up into its branches, continuing where it had left off in encasing him in a hard wooden shell, and now Raph was doing his best to fight off the same fate as heavier roots and branches began winding themselves around him and began lifting him up off the ground as well. </em> </em> </em> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> <em> <em> <em>He ripped at branches and tried to shoot off another powersmash but his tonfas were suddenly ripped away as well and dropped down to the gravel below. His own panicked yells were cut off as he was encased in the heavy wood and the meadow became silent once again.</em> </em> </em> </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have personally witnessed a coconut fall from a tree and shatter someone’s windshield lmao ok they definitely can kill people so THE MORE YOU KNOW!! </p>
<p>Also I like country music and am just having some mystic magic fun with this! I hope ya’ll are enjoying it as much as I am!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We are back with Donnie, Mikey and Bee as they continue their own expedition to capture the oozesquitos, and we find out more about Bee’s mysterious family past.</p><p> </p><p>TW: BLOOD but not like, much</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Donnie insisted on not calling the others right away after poisoning himself. His reasoning was that it’d only worry Raph and distract them from the task at hand.</p><p>“It has nothing to do with saving face Mikey. I simply believe that it would be detrimental to the mission.” He sniffed, putting on the dramatics as he began to walk away from his brother and the gardener. “We can call them when it’s time to but in the meantime we should keep moving.”</p><p>The younger brother pouted at this, still worrying after how quickly Donnie had succumbed to such a small amount of poison but Bee patted his shoulder reassuringly. “I promise it looked worse than it actually was honey. If he’s feeling good enough to keep going then it’s the truth!”</p><p>They eventually made their way out of the flower fields and crossed some unseen line into a very humid and moist area. The path in front of them split into three directions and Donnie paused.</p><p>“Bee, what exactly is at the end of each of these paths? Maybe we can take an educated guess about where the oozequitos may have gone.”</p><p>Well this path to the left would take us into a shady wooded area. That’s where I grow a lot of the more delicate mystic stuff since the bright light would burn them.” She pointed at each path as she explained,</p><p>Down the middle would take us to a bunch of ponds for aquatic plants. And to the right is the swamp.”</p><p>“Ooh Donnie I bet they went to the swamp! Bugs LOVE swamps.” Mikey yelled in excitement at the prospect of seeing a new area.</p><p>“Although you are correct in assuming that mosquitoes tend to appreciate marshes Miguel, I’m thinking the shade of the trees may be more tempting to them since they like to hide.” Donnie argued lightly, hand on his chin as he speculated.</p><p>As he considered their options an oozequito came whizzing by their heads and down the rightmost path.</p><p>‘Dee look! It’s heading that way!” Mikey shouted, pointing the bug out to his elder brother and running off after it, making their decision for them. They followed as he tried to catch the bug with only the jar, the lid held firmly in the other hand ready to snap it shut at a moments notice. Bee had her bug zapper ready in case it decided to fly at her and Donnie was busy taking aim as well just in case.</p><p>An old worn out bench sat to the side of the path and Mikey used it to launch himself at the bug, jumping up and then off it to gain some more air.</p><p>“KowaBUNGA!!”</p><p>The oozequito hit the back of the jar and Mikey slammed the lid back on to catch it as he fell back down. He fell facedown into a massive soupy mud puddle.</p><p>“You did it!!” Bee cheered as she caught up to where the bench was. Donnie was crouched at the visible edge of where the path ended and the swampy puddle began.</p><p>“The entire environment literally changes from one temperate to another within inches, amazing.” He stuck an arm out over the mud to feel the air.<br/>“My body feels dry and at a normal temperature and yet my arm feels the humidity and warmth just a step away. Fascinating.”</p><p>“Yeah it’s warmer over here now.” Mikey agreed from where he now stood, shaking the mud off him. Bee sat down on the bench and began pulling off her shoes and socks, placing them neatly on the bench next to her.</p><p>“ I told you the environment will change according to the plants needs. Not everything does well in a curated agricultural setting like we were just in. Some plants need to grow wild under treecover, some grow entirely underwater, and these here need a warm, wet place to really dazzle.”</p><p>She rolled up her pant legs, tying them up by her knees before stepping in after Mikey, sinking barefoot into the murky water. “Don’t worry, this is as deep as it gets.” She pointed at her legs where the marshy water only came up to the bottom of her knees. “There isn’t anything dangerous over here at all I promise! Just a lot of regular and mystic plants that are used for potion making.”</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>Donnie sighed in resignation before stepping into the mud as well to follow after Mikey and Bee who had started moving again. “Very well, I guess we should keep pressing on. The sooner we find all these oozequitos the better.”</p><p>“So if you know how to make magic potions Bee does that make you a witch?” Mikey asked when she caught up to him. He was shimmying up the trunk of a large cypress tree to see further ahead and hopefully spot a bug.</p><p>“I mean, I don’t think I’d count as a witch cause it’s just mixing ingredients really. I can follow a recipe as good as anyone but witches have their own magic they can add.” She shrugged. “Like I said, I’m just human. I can’t make a person fly, but I could recommend chewing a type of mystic tree bark that’ll make you somewhat weightless so you could bounce around for a little bit. And then take that same ingredient and use it to make a soup that cures migraines.”</p><p>“So you could say you’re more of a chef than a witch. A preferable outcome, I’m not too fond of witches.” Donnie chimed in as he caught up to them. Mikey interrupted suddenly, pointing ahead from his spot up in the tree.“I definitely saw some up ahead Dee, they are flying in further, we gotta catch up to them!”</p><p>He jumped down with a splash, getting mud all over Donnie and Bee upon landing. “OOPS. My bad you guys, but hey now it’s kinda like camouflage for the bugs to not see us coming!”</p><p>Donnie scowled in annoyance, his once pristine plastron was now caked with mud and dripping. Bee’s overalls weren’t fairing much better, the mud oozed down her legs sluggishly as she wiped some off her face. “Mikey be more careful would you?! I don’t want to be cleaning mud out of my circuit boards for the next week, and you hit Bee in the face.”</p><p>“It’s alright, I was gonna get these dirty eventually anyways. Let’s just get moving so we can get out of here and dry off sooner.” She gave them a thumbs up to show she wasn’t upset. “Let’s keep going!”</p><p>The mud seemed to grow thicker as they kept moving after the bugs Mikey had spotted and he was excitedly talking a mile a minute now. “I’m gonna be the bug wrangling champ today, I can feel it baby! Michelangelo is about to take the lead with a three bug combo and leave his brothers in the dust!” He rested his hands on the back of his head as he boasted, “Bee would you show me how to cook with mystic ingredients? I’ve used a mystic truffle before but you have so many I want to try them all!” “If you can mix magic potions then can I? Can you show me how? I think that’d be so cool!”</p><p>His cute and happy demeanor was contagious cause she was smiling now despite still being on an oozequito hunt and answered sweetly, “Y’know what Mikey, sure. When this is all over you can come back anytime and I can show you a few things you can make with mystic ingredients.”</p><p>“Please, <em>Please</em> as his only elder brother present I have got to insist that you do not teach Michealangelo any sort of potion making. I’m <em>begging</em> you.” Donnie beseeched her, horrified at the idea of Mikey getting his hands on magic ingredients and somehow blowing himself up.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“No potion making then, but I can show you how to make a mystic carrot stew that will…. wait a second.” Bee paused, staring curiously at a large green tendril wrapped lightly around the trunk of a small tree next to them. They had nearly walked past it. She bent low to inspect the vibrantly green vine, cocking her head to the side in curiosity.</p><p>“Bee what is that?” Donnie asked curiously.</p><p>“This…. is not supposed to be here. I’ve never seen it before. What is it?”<br/>She frowned as she inspected it further, it was a bright healthy green vine that seemed to have come out of the mud and wound itself around the tree trunk. But it was as thick as a baseball bat. “I don’t have any plants like this around here, where could it have come from?” The boys stood behind her also looking curiously.</p><p>“Look there it is on that tree as well!” Mikey pointed out another tree trunk with a matching vine wrapping up around it, “And there too!” this time he pointed out a piece of the plant that was barely surfacing above the mud.</p><p>She pulled out her gloves again and slipped them on before gently prying the vine back from the trunk. As though by reflex from being touched it immediately began curling in on itself as she pulled it away from the tree and stood up. The vine led into the mud and she lifted it further, seeing more of it revealed when she tugged.</p><p>“It looks like it’s just spreading like a vine and climbing up wherever it can get a foothold. But I’ve never grown anything this big over here before, what the heck is this?” She put the vine down against the tree again and it instantly began to rewind itself around it. Donnie pulled on his goggles and changed some settings while he peered down at the mysterious plant as well. Soon enough he was able to scan for the plant through the muddy water around them and could see them as white lines under the muds surface.</p><p>“It looks like they are all roots or tendrils of some sort, spreading out from a singular point ahead of us, they are all over the place and climbing up several more trees, I can see they -BEE look out!” Donnie saw below the surface a tendril had wrapped itself around her ankle stealthily, but before he could grab onto her it jerked her under the surface!</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>“OhmeGOSH Dee what’s happening! Where’d she go?!” Mikey shouted in panic. Donnie activated his spider legs and lifted himself out of the muddy water and started to give chase, not taking his eyes off the white line on his viewers that was rapidly pulling back towards the source of the roots with Bee in tow. “Mikey get up in the trees and c’mon this way!”</p><p>Mikey jumped up onto the nearest tree and followed Donnie, pulling out his kusari-fundo to swing from tree to tree in their pursuit.</p><p>“There!” Donnie pointed his bo at a spot up ahead by some shrubs in the mud and not a second later the vine burst from the surface with Bee dangling upside down in its grasp, spluttering and coughing, her glasses and gloves gone. The vine was tightly wound up her entire leg and moving higher as it waved her around in the air.</p><p>“Y-you guys!” She sputtered, dripping and flailing as more vines began to emerge from the mud, as well as large green buds that started to open wide. “It looks like-“</p><p>“A Venus fly trap!” Donnie finished her sentence as he scanned the monstrous plant that was emerging, taking in the many heads with gaping maws clamping shut over and over and spotting a few closed ones.</p><p>“Why is it so big though? Aren’t they supposed to be <em>tiny</em>?!” Mikey yelled from his perch in a tree next to Donnie.</p><p>“It’s the oozesquitos! They must’ve landed on it and gotten eaten and mutated it! Look see those three closed heads? I can see the bugs inside of them!” He pointed with his bo at the closed heads, his scanners confirming that yes there were in fact three oozequitoes dead and already partially digested within.</p><p>“So what do we do? It’s trying to eat her!”</p><p>Mikey readied his mystic weapon to slice through the vine holding Bee up but Donnie yelled “Wait Mikey don’t! She’s human! A fall from that high’d be way too dangerous for someone without a shell, we need to get closer. I’ll try to grab its attention and then you swing in close to grab her. ” Donnie let his spider legs carry him in closer and this time more vines shot out in his direction. He maneuvered out of their way and activated the chainsaw attachment on his bo. The engine revved loudly which seemed to catch the plants main attention, it lowered Bee closer to one of its ugly heads and opened wide, but the others all seemed to turn in his direction. They opened and shut like a baby bird’s beak, begging for food, and several more vines came hurtling out of the mud directly at him.</p><p>The chainsaw cut through the thick tendrils easily, though more kept coming, now from behind him as well. He jerked to a stop when one of his spider legs became ensnared in a vine, which quickly became two then more as more caught onto him.</p><p>“Bee!!” Mikey yelled from the opposite end as he watched his new friend struggling as she was pushed into one of the large mouths of the plant. Smaller vines shot out of the mouth and wrapped around her and tried pulling her in as well. Her arms were still free, so she used them to brace herself on its jaws, trying to keep herself from being pulled all the way in and enclosed. Red blood started gushing from her hands as the razor sharp edges of the Venus flytrap’s teeth cut into them and she yelled. He knew he couldn’t wait any longer and powered up his kusari-fundo, building up a flaming attack as he dropped from his perch and spinning it around to let it fly.</p><p>When he hit the ground the roots some of the vines that weren’t attacking Donnie quickly launched an attack on him as well, forcing him to redirect his attack into a defensive maneuver.</p><p>When his flaming weapon hit the vines, an awful screech could be heard from the many heads of the venus plant, and the rope like tendrils recoiled, smoking in some places as they retreated into the wet muddy floor. Realizing his advantage, Mikey charged up another mystic attack and aimed it again, this time he managed to hit the vines holding Bee and they retracted, smoking and hissing with steam. Her legs free now, she was able to pull her lower half back out of the trap as Mikey lined up a third attack, this time aiming for the neck of the plant, burning through in a clean shot. The giant trap fell with Bee, but then Donnie was suddenly there, pulling her loose from the teeth and letting the plant’s head fall. They landed in the mud and Donnie’s spider legs, now only three, scuttled them away as Mikey let a barrage of flaming attacks hit the main plant again and again. Once they were a safe distance, he turned around and his bo converted to a rocket launcher, and he let loose with several blasts, burning the entire plant up in a flaming whirl.</p><p>Bee blinked up at the inferno in her garden, adrenaline still racing. Thankfully there was no way for it to spread so she didn’t have to worry about that. What she WAS worrying about however was the growing agony in her hands which she had curled up and pressed tightly to her chest as she breathed heavily.</p><p> </p><p>Green hands gently pried her own back so they could inspect the damage. Across both palms was a nasty jagged slice, bleeding extensively and covered in mud. Her hands trembled and she gasped when clean water was poured across the wounds to clean the dirt from them.</p><p>“Sorry Bee, are these the only ones you got? Mikey you got any extra bandages so we can wrap her hands?” Donnie was inspecting the edges of the cuts carefully to see if they’d need anything more than a bandage, but upon closer inspection they were fairly shallow. “Don’t worry, hand wounds always bleed dramatically. These’ll be fine, but we should find another one of your first aid kits to disinfect them properly.”</p><p>“It’s fine, I’m just still in shock I guess. I’ve never had to deal with anything like that before, if you guys hadn’t been here and I had come up here on my own…” She mumbled, still going over how quickly it had all happened.</p><p>“You lost your glasses Bee, can you even see right now?” Don asked, looking around the murky water around them in vain for them.</p><p>“It’s alright, I’m mostly farsighted so they just help me focus on things up close.” She answered. “I’ve got another pair at home somewhere.”</p><p>Mikey’s phone suddenly startled them all by ringing loudly.</p><p>“It’s Raph!” Mikey exclaimed as he pulled out the phone and handed his extra bandages over to Donnie, who started wrapping her hands tightly with the gauze. “I’ll put him on speaker Don,”</p><p> </p><p>He answered, talking a mile a minute into the phone as Donnie helped Bee back up by the elbow gently. “Raph! Are you okay? We got another oozequito and then we found three more but they mutated a plant and we were just dealing with that, Donnie got two more also but then he got poisoned by a plant!..”</p><p>Donnie groaned at Mikey’s reveal about his accident. His brothers would never let him live that down. “Nooo, Raph, you do not need to ‘<em>come get me’</em>, I’m perfectly fine. But what’s going on with Leo?....a coconut hit him!” He laughed but Bee seemed worried, “Oh no, I’m so sorry I should’ve warned them about those-“ she froze however, when Raph mentioned them following music. “Wait, you were supposed to stick to the path, that’s….wait you made it to the field?! Is the radio still playing?....”</p><p>She had grown more and more concerned as Raph mentioned their location, and when Raph suddenly yelled for his brother they could all hear a commotion of crackling and shouting and rumbles and yelling in the background. Bee looked to Donnie and Mike, panic stricken.</p><p>“We need to get to them right away, oh geez, they found the Singing Tree, they’re in terrible danger you guys!” She started slogging through the marshy water as fast as she could while the boys followed.</p><p>“What the heck is a Singing Tree Bee and why would they be in danger?” Donnie asked as he rushed along beside her. Mikey brought up the rear, looking back at the smoldering pile of plant remains behind them.</p><p>“Shouldn’t we put that out?” He asked but Bee only shook her head and waved at him to hurry up.</p><p>“There’s no time, the swamp won’t catch fire. But your brothers are in trouble. That Singing Tree is the oldest and most <em>dangerous</em> mystic plant I have here. It’s been with my family for nearly 400 years, and is even older than that.” She winced as she clenched her fist accidentally. “It’s super rare and every part of it is extremely valuable but it’s seeds are what’s most valuable for magic and potion making. It’ll only give one every year and that’s only if you feed it.” She grimaced. “If you don’t feed him you can still collect plenty of important mystic ingredients from him but the seeds are -I’ve always hated that thing and swore I’d figure out how to destroy it when I was in charge....”</p><p>“Why, what does it do?” Mikey asked, perplexed by how she was acting as she explained. They had already arrived at the edge of the bog, but she didn’t stop for her shoes, instead choosing to begin running now that she’d be able to. They followed suit as she led the way.</p><p>“It’s a living being. A predator. In the wild it lures in unsuspecting prey with singing or speaking to people. In recent years though the damn thing has taken to swearing at and insulting people to get them to come in close before it…” she faltered in her answer for a second as they made it back at last to the rows of flowers and vegetables and turned to the boys.</p><p>“My family is human. Its preferred prey, though it’ll happily take yokai as well. My stupid family hundreds of years ago entered a deal with it to always keep it fed at least once a year, in exchange for its bounty of mystic ingredients.” Tears bubbled up in her eyes as what she said sank in for the boys. “I inherited the shop four years ago when my last living family member…”</p><p>Mikey gasped in horror as the realization sunk in. Donnie grimaced. She turned and began running again and they followed closely. Donnie pulled his phone out and tried calling Leo then Raph, and then both again, but the calls went unanswered.</p><p>“Neither of them are answering their phones. So you think this Singing Tree has gotten the both of them? If it was so dangerous why haven’t you just destroyed it?</p><p>“For four years now I’ve been starving it out and doing everything I can to try and get it to die of natural causes. I don’t know who made the deal way back when but there seems to be some sort of magic that prevents me from doing anything directly to it to cause damage. I can’t chop it down or burn it, my hands won’t let me. But it didn’t stop me from cutting off its food supply and salting the earth around it. I play music constantly for it to keep it dormant. It hasn’t tried to eat me because it knows I’m the last one and if I’m gone then he’d definitely be doomed, but if it found someone else close by? It wouldn’t hesitate.”</p><p>“But if you can’t hurt it then what are we gonna do to get them out of there?” Mikey asked with worry.</p><p>“Well, there’s some sort of spell that won’t let <em>Me</em> cause any damage or destroy it.” She started slowly, stopping when they arrived at the first aid kit Mikey had opened up before, its contents shining in the light. She picked up several vials of antidotes and held them up, thinking hard.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“But there isn’t a magic spell preventing <em>you two</em> from burning it to the ground.” She looked towards her small field full of mystic and regular plants. “And I might be able to whip up something that could help you do it more quickly.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>When I tell you I am winging it and having a lot of fun I’m telling you the truth! This chapter was fun, but I should try to plan a little better 😂 </p><p>My biggest issue seems to be keeping everyone involved in convos, it’s hard for me to bounce around lol I need more writing practice!</p><p>The idea for the Singing Tree is pretty random lol I like making up  monsters and lore and somehow it worked out for Bee, a human, to have access to a bunch of ancient and mystical plants, to also harbor an ancient and dark secret DUN DUN DUNNN</p><p> </p><p>Comments and kudos are super appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A little bit of alchemy never hurt anyone right?</p><p> </p><p>TW: BLOOD but not like, much</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After the boys swore they’d help her burn the terrible Singing Tree down, she had led them down a different path to a neatly organized tool shed close by. It was packed to the brim with garden shears and hoes, shovels and rakes. But what they were there for was tucked away into a corner on a small table next to an old chair.</p><p>“It’s an alchemy kit! I couldn’t fit every antidote in the first aid kit, so I keep one out here to mix up whatever I might need instead.” She explained as she popped the old metal box open.</p><p>“What exactly do you need it for though? Didn’t you just say our brothers were in danger? We need to go save them!” Donnie fumbled clumsily when Bee shoved the kit into his hands and swiped an arm across the table to clear it.</p><p>“The process takes a few days, so they’re still alive I promise.”</p><p>She took the kit back and placed it on the table, Its hinges creaked with disuse but it opened smoothly to reveal a mortar and pestle, several empty jars and vials of different sizes, some empty and some full of mysterious contents. Beakers and tweezers and a dropper and a strange wooden bowl and matching ladle with mystic runes etched into the sides. She pulled out all the tools and spread them out on the bench in front of her.</p><p>“Alone we wouldn’t stand a chance against the Singing Tree, it could snatch us all up in an instant. What we’ll need is a diversion. Which is what I’m preparing.”<br/>
She snapped her fingers over the wooden bowl and Donnie gaped as its interior ignited with a flickering blue flame.</p><p>“Donnie you still have the flower with those bugs attached right? <em>Without</em> touching it this time, d’you think you can extract a few petals for me? And Mikey, three rows down and four to your right you should find a plant with a yellow spotted vine. Cut off a piece and bring it back. Don’t worry it won’t hurt if you touch it. Just hurry.”</p><p>Mikey nodded and ran off while Donny pulled out the jar currently occupied by the oozequitoes and the terrible firespit flower. He managed to pluck a few safely without touching by using the tweezers and placing them into the mortar when she pointed at it.</p><p>“So what exactly is a magic potion supposed to do as a distraction? Make fireworks? Cause y’know I could just do that with science.” He twisted the lid shut tight on the jar as she began pounding the flower petals with the pestle.</p><p>“No it’s not for fireworks Donnie. It’s something that’ll be so tempting for the tree that it won’t be able to pay attention to anyone sneaking up behind it.” She scraped the paste into the flaming bowl where it ignited and turned the flame a deep purple. She then opened up a small vial full of some sort of black grainy sand and pressed a hand against Donnie’s plastron to push him back.<br/>
“Step back and cover your eyes for a sec.” she held the vial out at an arms length and turned away as well before sprinkling a tiny amount into the flaming bowl. A bright blue flash erupted from the container followed by a deep sizzle and she turned back around. She was counting stirs now, several clockwise and then a few going opposite.</p><p>Mikey took this opportunity to return with a chunk of a massive spotted vine, yellow and giving off heavy mystic energy when Donnie put his goggles on to inspect it. “I’ve got the vine! Is there anything else you need Bee?” He placed it on the table with a heavy thud where it oozed from its sliced end.</p><p>“No it’s the last thing I need. Well from the garden anyways.” They watched as she lifted it from one end over the wooden bowl, which now had a green haze lifting from it and then squeezed, a golden liquid practically gushing from the vine down into the bowl.</p><p>“Uh you don’t think you need to measure it? The last thing you added was a little <em>volatile”</em> Donnie interjected but she shook her head.</p><p>“No this is pretty much for volume so I’ll have enough.” She flopped the desiccated vine back onto the counter. “Now it just needs the final human touch. Good thing my hand was already cut earlier.” She began to unwind one of her hands and was met with shouts as the cut beneath instantly began dripping again when she clenched a fist to make more come out.</p><p>“Wait!!”</p><p>“What’re you <em>DOING?”</em> Donnie’s hand flashed out to grab her by the wrist to stop her with a look of horror on his face.</p><p>Mikey couldn’t bear to watch so he covered his eyes with his hands. If this was potion making, then he’d definitely lost interest in it. Bee frowned at Donnie’s interference. “It’s a pretty common ingredient. We need it or the potion won’t lure the tree and we won’t be able to rescue your brothers. This is what we use for feeding it. It’ll assume I have someone else for it to eat and be so focused on me that you’ll be able to sneak up behind and grab your brothers.”</p><p>He scowled. “There isn’t another way without hurting yourself more?” She shook her head no, and he let go with a sigh. “Fine go ahead and add it. Just no more curveballs like that alright.” She moved her hand over the bowl and clenched her fist again, blood trickling up through her fingertips and dripping down into the bowl which started to sizzle again.</p><p>She kept clenching and unclenching her fist to pump more out and it was only when she started to get pale in the face that Donnie snatched her hand back.<br/>
“Alright I think that’s enough. Let me rewrap it before you lose anymore.”</p><p>“Sure. I just need to mix it and put it in a flask though.” She began but Mikey interrupted this time, peeking through his fingers. “Is it over Bee? Can I look again?”</p><p>“Yeah, use the spoon to stir it three more times then ladle it into one of those flasks with a stopper. I gotta just...sit down for a second.” She slumped down onto the seat next to her to catch her breath as Don wrapped fresh gauze around the reopened wound in her hand.</p><p>“See I think you took too much!” Donnie reprimanded her. She nodded with a small guilty smile.</p><p>“Maybe, but with that much fresh human blood the damn thing won’t be able to look away.” Mikey finished ladling the mixture into the flask and stuck the stopper in tightly. “Here Bee, is that all we’re gonna need?”</p><p>She pushed herself up to stand, taking the flask and tucking it into the front pocket of her overalls and leading them out of the shed confidently despite their protests.</p><p>“You should take it a little slow Bee!” Mikey pouted, worried about how she was moving so quickly again,grabbing her elbow to try and support her a little but she shook her head no at his concerns and pulled ahead. Donnie and he exchanged concerned looks at her refusal.</p><p>“We don’t have time for me to take it slow right now. Just keep up with me and I’ll tell you my plan!”</p><p> </p><p>They made their way back through the gardens without much fuss, besides stopping once or twice for Bee to catch her breath. They had just arrived at the entrance to the overgrown forested part of the greenhouse, where they had last seen their siblings. Donnie stepped deeper into the woods, keeping his eyes peeled looking into the trees, constantly watching for the next unpleasant surprise.</p><p>Mikey was bouncing on his heels,brimming with anxious energy as he tried again in vain to call Leo or Raph but they still weren’t answering. He was frustrated and worried for his two older siblings when a thought struck him.</p><p>“So if the Singing Tree only makes seeds once a year, and each seed needs a person...did you used to have like, a really big family Bee?” He wondered out loud not really thinking much besides imagining a bunch of people with big glasses and green thumbs. He bet they were all really nice like her.</p><p>Bee froze though at the seemingly harmless question. “No. Not really.”</p><p>“But you got seeds every year right? How did you-“</p><p>“Mikey I don’t think you’re going to enjoy this particular conversation, let’s ask about her hair instead, Bee are you a <em>natural</em> blonde? Is short hair ahh, <em>in season</em> this year?” Donnie interrupted suddenly, stepping between them and laughed awkwardly as he tried to change the conversation to anything else.</p><p>“What d’you mean Donnie! I was just thinking if her family’s been taking care of it for hundreds of years and she’s the last one left, she must’ve had a big enough family to-“ Mikey argued but the sudden realization hit him in the gut like a hammer. Bee looked positively green in her face as it dawned on him.</p><p>“We weren’t just sacrificing our family.” She answered abruptly, moving past Mikey as her mouth set in a stern line. “Just one life a year to satisfy the deal my ancestors made with that demon tree.”</p><p>She scrubbed at her eyes harshly, turning away from them for a moment to collect herself.</p><p>“The past decade or so it’s been mostly yokai from the battle nexus, provided by Big Mama. Losers who were dying anyways. In exchange for exclusive rights to any supply we harvested, she provided the lives so we wouldn’t have to. But before her deal. My family would simply take strangers off the street alright?”</p><p>She turned back and they saw fresh tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. “And then if it was harvest time and we had nobody else, my clan would offer one of their own.”</p><p>Michelangelo and Donatello were speechless and Bee went on.</p><p>“Look I never wanted to do it. I never did it! But I’m just as guilty as my family. I’ve only been able to end it for four years. When I met Big Mama I told her the tree was sick and I’d let her know when it was ready for victims again. She seemed to buy it.”</p><p>Donnie chewed his lower lip, “So you’ve been lying to her face for four years Bee? D’you know what she’ll do to you if she finds out?” He warned, realizing how tricky Bee’s situation was. But she just barked out a short bitter laugh.</p><p>“What’s she gonna do kid? Feed me to the tree?” She shrugged, “Besides. I’m the last living person that knows how to care for many of these mystic plants in an easy access, agricultural setting. If she got rid of me she’d have to go back to scouring forests and lakes for her favorite treats and potion ingredients.”</p><p>She then ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back away from her face and tying it half up. “And no, I dye my hair blonde. I’m actually a brunette. Does that finish up the questionnaire? We’re close and I need to tell you my plan.”</p><p> </p><p>The plan was simple, Michealangelo thought as they peered through the trees at the strange salted field housing the dreaded singing tree. It’s reddish bark had a sickly tone to it, and there were sparse leaves left on its gangly branches, like it wasn’t getting enough light or nutrients from the soil around it. It seemed as though Bee’s original plan to starve it out seemed to have been working on it til their brothers came and made a meal out of themselves for it. It sat there attempting to remain inconspicuous, but failing as it swayed gently and hummed some song to itself. Bee had already mapped out everything they needed to know about the terrain and how the tree moved.</p><p>“So that ring around the tree, that’s the furthest it can reach?” Mikey asked, pointing at the raised ring of rock salt surrounding the tree. Bee nodded.</p><p>“Yeah avoid getting in range and you should be safe, now look up there.”</p><p>Nestled high up in the trees naked branches were two large, oddly shaped nuts. They were closer to the trunk and deep within the branches. Bee frowned in concern.</p><p>“Those are Raph and Leo?” Donnie asked, pulling down his goggles and adjusting its view to scan the tree for any weak spots as she nodded. “I can see their heat signatures inside, that’s definitely them!” Two turtle shaped blobs of heat had appeared on his lens when he switched to the infrared. He continued to swap through scans. “And it looks like they’re still breathing so that’s a relief.”</p><p>“Now Bee when you go to distract it, it won’t be able to notice us sneaking up behind it?” He reiterated, wanting to run through their plan one more time.</p><p>“Exactly. It has a face on the northern side, I’ll approach from there with the music player, then use the potion we mixed to keep its attention.” She pointed at the old speaker on the table nearby and patted her front pocket.</p><p>“You guys don’t make your move til you hear the music playing, it’ll slow the tree’s movements down. When you are close enough, Mikey can use his fire attack to get through the branches and grab the boys to pull them out. Donnie, you keep an eye for anything going wrong and defend him. You only need to get them outside of the ring and they should be safe!”</p><p>“Bee it’s not gonna try to eat you is it?” Mikey asked worriedly, and the smile she gave him was warm and sweet. Almost pityingly, Donnie thought as he watched his brother’s eyes well up in response.</p><p>“N-no. Of course not buddy. And I’m not gonna get close enough to let it anyways.”<br/>
She patted his shoulder affectionately. “I’m not planning on letting that thing take any more innocent lives. Are you ready?”</p><p>The boys nodded in affirmation and Bee stood up from their hiding place in the shrubs, motioning for them to stay hidden as she walked out into the field.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Everything is going to go Just. Fine.</p><p>Have we forgotten about the oozesquitos? Well. Maybe THEY did but I haven’t. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Donnie and Michaelangelo make their move at last to save their brothers from becoming fertilizer! Will Bee’s plan to save them all work?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bee tread across the warm, rocky soil quickly, making her way over to the old CD player before turning to give the boys hidden back between the trees a thumbs up. It seemed to be in working order and she picked it up, nervously thinking about her plan.</p><p>‘Who’s the ugly thing wandering around? I never saw someone so hideous.’ The tree suddenly called out in its gravelly voice, shaking its branches out as though it were stretching after hearing her crunching across the salted soil. She sighed. This is why the music was left on, she really couldn’t handle the constant rude chatter when she was working.</p><p>‘It’s me you stupid <em>Jerry.</em> “ she responded hatefully as she made her way around to the north side of the tree to approach it head on. She had given the tree the ugly name long ago and knew it was hated. As she got closer it opened a knotted eye, followed by the other and a scowl tore its way across its trunk. It stared down at her hatefully with hideously cataracted eyes and a gap toothed maw. The eyes wandered back-and-forth a few times, roaming the ground for her figure before zeroing in.</p><p>‘I am not <em>Jerry,</em> you hateful pupae. You yellow headed worm of a cursed clan. You look terrible.” It snipped, laughing at her as she stepped closer to the salt line, her mouth set in a grim line. “Despite your murderous efforts, worthless coward, I stand and grow stronger again.”</p><p>“You contemptuous creature, you swallowed two yokai today that were not your sacrifice Jerry.” She answered angrily, placing the CD player on the floor next to her so she could pull out the vial.</p><p>The tree shook with laughter at her comment. “As though you had given me a choice traitor. I’ve had none for years and you’ve slowly poisoned the soil so my roots no longer reach, my leaves no longer sprout, my bark has lost its glossy sheen.” It bemoaned, branches shaking with anger and stretching out in vain towards her. ‘You ugly little tadpole, the last of your miserable line- a traitor to your clans promise! I’d tear you asunder and consume your soul if there was another to take your place here with me.”</p><p>“And I’d <em>gladly</em> burn you to a pile of ash if I could so I guess we are even.” She quipped. The tree threw itself back as it laughed at her.</p><p>She shook the bottle in her hand, grateful for his cataracted eyes so he could not see too clearly what she was doing, and popped the top, dabbing some of the golden liquid on her wrists delicately like a fine perfume before stoppering the bottle and placing it back in her front pocket. It took a few moments but the reaction was perfect. The Singing Tree perked up and leaned forward, sniffing the air loudly and again tried in vain to reach for her.</p><p>“You’ve brought me my rightful tribute at last? Where issss it? Where is this human I smell bathed in nectar?” It hissed now, practically squirming with excitement as it smelled the potion in the air. Perfect. Bee picked the CD player up again and held it in her arms.</p><p>“They are coming now O Great Singing Tree, why don’t we sing your praises with your favorite music while they arrive?” The tree nodded in excitement.</p><p>“I hate that music you play, but bring me a human sacrifice and I will forgive you for being so traitorous.”</p><p>“Oh, they’re coming very soon, I promise. Right here next to me <em>veeery</em> soon.” She then pressed play on the old music player, turning the volume all the way up. The hateful Singing Tree became deathly still as the music cranked up louder. It had fallen for Bee’s trap.</p><p> </p><p>Michealangelo and his brother watched like hawks as Bee approached the dangerous mystic tree. His brother shushed him when he gasped as the voice of the tree rang out for the first time.</p><p>“It really <em>is</em> a talking demon tree!” He whispered in horror as he saw the thing stretch out its branches towards their friend on the ground. “And his name is Jerry?”</p><p>“Mikey we gotta stay stealth until Bee gives the signal.” Donnie chided, also startled by Bee’s casual bickering with the tree. He did not like the way it was talking about her but it seemed she was used to the hateful remarks and threats. He’d ask about the weird name when this was all over.</p><p>“Dee what’s asunder? Under what?” Mikey whispered as they watched Bee toe the salted line and the tree tried again to reach for her.</p><p>“Asunder. Apart; Divided. He wants to rip her apart Mikey okay I promise I’ll get you a word a day calendar when we get home, but right now we gotta stay stealth.”</p><p>Mikey frowned at Donnie’s answer and fidgeted with his kusari-fundo. He hadn’t liked this part of Bee’s plan where they wait for her signal. She looked small standing alone in front of the big evil creature that wanted to rip her limb from limb. Before he could worry himself even more though he saw her turn on the CD player. A twangy guitar began playing and Bee held the stereo up and blasted a song about lost loves and empty beer cans.</p><p>“There’s the signal! Let’s go Dee!” Mikey hopped up from their hiding place and the boys finally stepped out into the field, Donnie a little more cautiously than Michaelangelo. He had his goggles pulled down again as he inspected the branches surrounding their imprisoned brothers, and pointed out a few in particular to Mikey.</p><p>“Mikey you hit those ones first so it’ll drop Leo, I’ll get Raph! Priority is getting them out of the ring first then we can unpack them! We’ll hit it at the same time!!”</p><p>Mikey nodded as he spun his Kusari-fundo around, building momentum for his first strike as Donnie pointed his bow staff at a heavy looking branch that seemed to be holding Raphael’s wooden tomb up all on its own. The tree didn’t even seem to hear them running closer, it sat completely immobile, seemingly enchanted by the music and the smell of the potion Bee had whipped up. He pressed a small button and the head of his staff changed to a blaster. They had nearly made it to the salt line when he called out to his brother.</p><p>“Now Mikey! Hit it!”</p><p>A terrible screech shattered the air as Donnie let off a siege of purple blasts, the wood splintering away with the direct hit. The heavy tree bough began collapsing under the weight of Raph’s prison and the large wooden shell began to slide down slowly, snapping smaller branches as it tumbled down slowly. It seemed the tree was trying to prevent it from falling as more small branches slowly moved in the way of its plummet. It looked like he’d have to hit it again, this time with more force to clear away all the smaller obstacles at once and give himself an opening to retrieve Raph from the deadly circle.</p><p>Mikey’s own attack was currently burning through the smaller branches that were holding Leo’s prison up as well, as the tree screeched again, however it remained mostly unmoving, only a few smaller branches feebly reaching out towards its stolen prizes.</p><p>Leo’s pod suddenly slipped loose and began a free fall, landing on the ground with a resounding crack. Mikey’s kusari-fundo spun back around to grab a hold and Mikey yanked as hard as he could, sending it high and slamming it back into the ground safely outside of the salt ring. The seed pods shell was sporting a large set of cracks all across and Mikey ran over to dig his fingers in and wrench it apart with all his strength. A chunk of wood came off in his hands and revealed his elder brother Leonardo’s quietly breathing form.</p><p>“Dee I’ve got Leo, he’s breathing!! Lee wake up!” Mikey began hitting the wooden shell with his mystic weapon, chipping away chunks and pulling pieces off when he could so he could pull his brother out. Leonardo stirred as fresh air hit his face and Mikey pulled another chunk of wood off his chest, freeing his arms and reaching under to drag Leo out and lay him on the ground.</p><p>“Bee how do I get him to wake up?!” He yelled as he patted Leo’s face gently.</p><p>Bee had been holding the speaker up high above her head throughout the whole attack, only turning her face away once Donnie’s attacks had caused part of the tree to practically explode. The tree’s face scowled and glared at her hatefully, growling but not speaking a word, enchanted as it was by the music playing and the potion’s allure.</p><p>“I don’t know, I’ve never seen anyone come out alive before! Just give him some time! Get your other brother! Hurry!” She shouted back, standing firmly in front of the awful tree, despite the shaking in her legs and arms. As soon as she stepped too far away the potion’s enticing charm wouldn’t drag the trees attention away from them and the music alone would not be enough to keep it from trying to drag Raph back up. She’d stand there as long as it took. But she hoped Donnie wouldn’t take much longer.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s nearly there!” Donnie shouted as he set off another blast, this time directly hitting the trunk of the tree below Raph’s cocoon which sizzled sickeningly. The branches that had been moving to hold onto Raph’s wooden shell instead moved to put out the burning bark and Raph’s large pod finally dropped to the ground with a resounding thunk. Mikey’s weapon flew past Donnie and wrapped itself around the pod, and he launched it back towards Leo’s prone form on the ground, slamming it with a heavy crunch into the salted earth. A large crack formed straight down the middle and Mikey whooped as he began to rain down blows on the shell to crack it even further.</p><p>“We’ve got them Bee!” Donnie called out as he converted the end of his bow to the chainsaw again and ran to his brothers aid to begin his own attack on the shell to bust it open. It split cleanly in two like an egg and out onto the salted earth tumbled their eldest brother, Raphael, who was also heavily asleep.</p><p>“They’re out! Raph, Leon! Time to wake up you guys!” Donnie shook his elder brother roughly to try and rouse him. Leo finally opened his eyes blearily as Mikey pulled him to sit up and shook him by the shoulders as well. Raph’s own eyes opened slowly, blinking in confusion at his brothers grinning faces in front of him.</p><p>“What’cha guys doin’ here?” He sat up gently and held his head gently in his hands as Donnie pulled down his goggles and started scanning his vitals.</p><p>“We’ll explain in due time brother dearest, but first I need to make sure you two are okay.” He explained as he took multiple readings and scans of his eldest brother.</p><p>“Mikey you’re gonna make me puke dude, stop with the shaking please?” Leo groaned slowly. Mikey beamed and pulled him into a tight hug.</p><p>“Lee you’re okay! We were so scared for you guys! You’re not gonna believe it! Bee he’s okay!” Mikey yelled, turning to share the good news with her but instead pointing in horror at her, four pairs of eyes following the motion.</p><p><strong>“Bee!</strong> <strong>Watch out behind you!</strong>”</p><p>Bee had been so focused on seeing if the boys had made it far enough away for her to safely step away as well that she hadn’t noticed the buzzing sound creeping closer to her from behind, but she whirled around in surprise to find herself face to face with the last oozequito they had been hunting down. She had completely forgotten that they were the original threat and she shrieked as it flew into her face, sending her tumbling back past the salted line and dropping the CD player. It sparked and the music went dead as she scrambled backwards when the bug flew close again. It seemed determined to bite her but before it could land, a tongue launched out above her head quick as lightning and wrapped itself around the bug, dragging the oozesquito into the Singing Tree’s maw.</p><p>The singing tree shuddered and snarled, its cataracted eyes becoming clear and glowing green from the ooze; it was growing larger, its branches, thicker and its bark more gnarled and glossy. Bee scrambled out of its way and back over the perimeter of the salt ring as the demon tree seemed to gain new strength, tearing itself up from the ground to stand up slowly on disproportionate legs of twisted roots. A massive, claw like branch suddenly swooped down at Bee, sending her flying back to fall on the ground yards away with a sickening thud. She gasped in pain as she rolled over onto trembling hands and feet to try and get back up again.</p><p>“A fitting end for the traitor who tried so hard to break an oath. You’ll make the most satisfying meal of all. And now with my newly acquired freedom, I’ll be able to hunt as many of your wretched kind as I like!” It boasted with glee.</p><p><strong><em>“Bee!!”</em></strong> Both Bee and the tree turned to the boys, who had called out to her in unison. Mikey was on the ground holding Leo up but watching her with a fearful look. Donnie was already starting towards her, his tech bo in hand, but from her spot on the ground she could see that Raph was still struggling to simply get up off his hands and knees and Leo looked like he was going to be sick at any moment.</p><p>The tree chuckled darkly when it turned and saw the four turtles across the field. It took its first heavy step towards them, claws shining wickedly.<br/>
“My stolen meal, just perfect. I’ll devour you all and then swallow this wretch whole and-“ The demon tree paused, sniffing the air like a dog and whirling back around to find the source.</p><p>Bee was standing again, her mouth set in a determined line, and holding up the bottle full of the mystic potion, the stopper lay on the floor and a light mystic haze could be seen emanating from the top. The tree snarled at her and took a slow lumbering step and then another towards her. She pointed the boys towards the exit as she began backing away, never taking her eyes from the demon tree as it followed her slowly.</p><p>“You guys! Get your brothers out of here! You can’t fight it and keep them safe! I’ll lead it away, just <strong>go!”</strong> She then poured the entire contents of the bottle down her front, soaking her shirt and overalls with the lightly glowing liquid. The tree seemed dumbstruck by the smell for a moment, before it snarled and took another step in her direction, more confidently this time and she began backing away quickly, waving her hands to waft more of the potion in its direction and tossing the empty bottle aside.</p><p>“Bee are you crazy?! He’s gonna eat you!” Mikey hollered as the tree took another step in her direction. Donnie had frozen in panic midstep when he realized what she had done. She smiled grimly.</p><p>“I know what’ll happen! You boys just get out of here and lock the door! He won’t be able to escape if it’s locked from the outside. Just go and forget about this place!”</p><p>Before they could try to argue with her further she began running away in earnest, the tree finally building up enough momentum to go crashing after her. She slipped through the trees on the opposite side of the field and vanished into the brush, the Singing Tree hot on her trail, tearing shrubbery and small trees out of the ground as it followed.</p><p><em>“Bee!!!”</em> Donnie and Mikey cried out in horror, torn between running to help and staying to protect their brothers.</p><p>“Donnie what should we do?” Mikey turned to his brother, but was answered by Raph, who had finally managed to stand, albeit a little shakily.</p><p>“She’s right Mikey. You can’t play offense <em>AND</em> defense against that thing. It was a menace BEFORE it could walk around. She’s buying me and Leo time to get our heads straight, and for us to come up with a plan.”</p><p>“Bee’s already hurt though, she’s not gonna last long against that thing, we should split up and-“ Donnie began but Raph shook his head and cut him off.</p><p><strong>“No</strong> Donnie, we need to keep our heads and come up with a real plan of action.”</p><p>He frowned heavily as he searched the ground for his tonfa, the last thing he remembered was dropping them during the first attack. They lay abandoned along with Leo’s sword a few feet away from the hole the tree had left in the soil from when it tore itself free. Donnie paced agitatedly, seemingly torn between chasing after Bee and staying to make sure his brothers were okay, while Mikey helped Leo stand slowly on shaky legs as well.</p><p>“Do we have a plan Raph?” Mikey asked their eldest bro. Leo had his arm around his shoulder for support and smiled cheekily at the youngest.</p><p>“Of course we’ve got a plan muchacho, we’re gonna go kick that trees butt into a woodchipper. I’m assuming she has one lying around here along with a flamethrower and probably, I dunno. Pitchforks. I don’t really know what farmers use in these types of situations.”</p><p>Donnie retrieved their fallen weapons and passed them back to their owners, his face set in a determined line now. “I don’t know about a woodchipper but I’ve got a few ideas on how we can handle this thing. However in order for my plan to work we’ll need everyone on their best game. You guys up for it?”</p><p>Raph cracked his knuckles and straightened up to his full height, feeling better by the second. He grinned confidently at his brothers around him and punched a fist into his hand. “Let’s show Bee that the Mad Dogs don’t leave their friends behind!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I thought it was gonna be the final chapter but look how things turned out! You get one more after this!</p><p> </p><p>It has really been a LOT of fun writing this fic and I am already thinking of future fics to write! Which canon villain should be in my next fic? I have a few ideas and can’t decide! It’ll be another adventure with Bee, and I can’t decide between Baron Draxum, Meat Sweats, or maybe another one of their fun and dangerous villains, so let me know which one you think would be exciting!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>CW Blood, Implied suicidal ideation, violence y’know</p><p>TW: ART WITH BLOOD IN IT. MAYBE A LOT. MORE THAN JUST A SMALL CUT THATS FOR SURE OK YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED</p><p>Sorry for the wait! I was having so much fun making art for the fandom that I was distracted from writing haha! And I started writing my next fic! Which is also exciting!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was hard to admit, but Raphael still felt somewhat shaky on his legs when they first began their pursuit of Bee and the Singing Tree. Apparently being technically eaten by a mystic plant had the side effect of jelly legs when you came out. Leo wasn’t faring much better since he had to keep stopping to lean against a tree or brother to reclaim his balance.</p><p>“I’m not gonna lie here bros, I have a killer headache. Are we suuure there isn’t a wood chipper I could just portal this tree into? Cause that would be, well problem solved right there y’know?” Leo rambled on as they continued to follow the trail the tree had left behind. It was easy enough to follow, torn up shrubs and trees missing heavy limbs and dripping leaves and sap. It looked like a tornado had blown through with how obvious the path was.</p><p>The boys were doing their best to pick their way through without touching much of the plant life, Donnie made sure to remind them every few minutes to try and avoid making contact with any unknown plants. The last thing they needed was someone to get poisoned cause they couldn’t keep their hands to themself. He also took it upon himself to fill Leo and Raph in on all the information Bee had shared about the deadliest creature in her greenhouse.</p><p>“I can’t believe she went this far, we haven’t even seen them again yet; just how <strong>big</strong> is this place?” Raph wondered aloud. Leo took this opportunity to trip over an exposed root, landing with a hard thud and a groan on his plastron. Donnie, being the closest, offered him a hand up.</p><p>“Maybe you should stay back here and rest just a little bit more Leon, you can catch up to us when we find Bee.”</p><p>“I’m <em>fine,</em> I just got a little tangled up is all.” Leo tried playing it off casually, but all three of his brothers couldn’t help but worry, especially knowing he’d gotten hit in the head so hard earlier.</p><p>“We’ll stop for five and then keep going together.” Raph decided, Mikey frowned as he climbed up the trunk of a tree to try and look further ahead. He was definitely feeling impatient and stressed by Bee’s wild decision.</p><p>“She was trying to buy us time to get out and lock the main door, but maybe she had a plan leading it in this direction? Like, maybe she knew another exit or something and now we’re the ones locked in here with that thing.” He worried aloud as he kept watch, not seeing very far ahead. The sparse trees had filled up again to create a veritable forest, the domed roof still visible far above their heads. Donnie shook his head.</p><p>“I don’t believe so Michael. With such a large, potentially ever expanding space mystic magic’d into existing up here, I doubt Bee’d keep multiple entrances for security purposes. Or else it’d be easier for others to just break in and help themselves. And you saw her face. I don’t think she plans on leaving this place ever again.” He finished grimly.</p><p>Mikey’s frown deepened as he slid back down the tree.<br/>
“It looks like stuff changes again ahead. There are less trees and it looks kinda like, rocky? Maybe that’s where Bee was headed.”</p><p>“Then let’s goooo <em>muchachos</em>! I swear I’m totally okay.” Leo wheedled as he began moving forward again, ignoring Raph’s orders to rest for just a few more minutes. “You heard what Mikey said, it clears out in a few, it’ll be no problem anymore to catch up and then bing bang boom, we’re the winners as usual so let’s gooooo!”</p><p>Raph scowled but didn’t fight him. They continued to follow the trail and sure enough the trees began to spread out again, the soil beneath their feet becoming more gravelly and hard. The gravel would slip loose and go tumbling down past them as the ground began a steady incline.</p><p>The plant life around them began changing as well. From the lush tangled jungle of vines and shrubbery, it grew more sparsely, long skinny grasses poking out from between grey boulders as the terrain took a more alpine turn. The air became crisp, losing the heavy humidity of the tree line as they began to hike up in earnest.</p><p>Leo groaned in exasperation as they made their way up the gravel path,</p><p>“HOW does this place just suddenly have an entire <em><strong>MOUNTAIN</strong></em>!”</p><p>He stopped to pick a stone out from between his toes. The climate change was instantaneous as they passed the last sparse remains of greenery and cross properly into the new terrain, populated by brown scraggly scrubs and the various grassy outcroppings. The air was crisp like a cool evening in the fall, and even the artificial sunlight seemed chilled.</p><p>Donnie led them up higher with Mikey in the rear, until they reached a plateau of sorts. The ground flattened out before them once again into a wide space, populated again by boulders of various sizes and boring, nearly dead looking plant life, along with another one of Bee’s little resting stations, this one a little more plush than the others. The little covered bench was sitting next to another first aid stand and this time the wooden bench had some soft cushions for padding and there was a firepit nearby, filled with cold ash.</p><p>Ahead of them the path forked, the left seemed to begin going up again and was populated by more rounded boulders and jagged rocks. To the right however the boulders were upgraded into a full cliffside, two grey walls of cold stone piled high, with mosses and lychen growing in little nooks and crannies  far up above them. At various points along the rock walls you could see ropes mounted to hooks high above, no doubt for Bee to climb up and harvest the moss safely from either sid of the canyon.</p><p>“I’m not sure which way we should go now” Raph’s voice was small as he thought about what they should do. “We can’t split up again.”</p><p>“I think we should keep going up” Mikey began and Leo shook his head and argued,</p><p>“No way, I think we should go back DOWN, why would she come up here if it’s cold? We must have missed their tracks somewhere.”</p><p>Donnie walked closer to the canyons before them and held up a hand to silence the others’ squabbling,</p><p>“Listen! Do you hear that?”</p><p>They paused. And listened intently. A few strange sounds came echoing out from the canyon path. There was a heavy scraping noise, awkward and abrupt. Like a cat scratching at a door. A snarling growl that could only be the singing tree, no doubt uttering threats and hateful remarks the entire time. And now, a soft song could be heard over the other sounds, just barely there enough to drift their way in the air.</p><p>“It’s Bee.” Mikey realized out loud as the others squared up to go running in.</p><p>“Dee, she’s singing to slow down the tree, now's our chance again!” Mikey pulled his weapon out again and led the way as they rushed to follow the sounds between the high rocky walls.</p><p>“Alright Don do we have a battle plan?” Raph asked as they hit another fork, paused to listen, and made a left turn further into the slowly developing maze of canyon walls.</p><p>Dee jumped over a boulder in the way as they chased down the song in the air.</p><p>“The tree stopped caring about you guys when it was getting burnt. I think Mikey needs to take the lead on offense with me with his flame attack. We’ll burn it up piece by piece. Raph, you gotta keep it off us for us to burn enough of it. Leo, we’re gonna need you to be ready with your portals if it manages to grab anyone. You be ready to hop in and portal anyone out before it can encase them. We can’t lose a single person or it’ll get us all.”</p><p>The walls opened up again into another wide space and the boys were momentarily blinded by the light becoming bright once again after being in the shadows of the cold stone. It was a ravine of sorts, the walls were dotted with crevasses and caves, no doubt housing many different varieties of underground plants and fungi. Dead across from them was the singing tree.</p><p>It was shaking and swaying, the rough bark scraping against the wall of stone in front of it and leaving a pile of sand and shredded bark on the floor below it. One of its hands was held up to its face, seemingly in an attempt to cover its ears, but to no avail. It spit and cursed and sang along to the song occasionally. In its other hand was Bee.</p><p>She looked almost painfully small in its grip, the gnarled hand of the miserable singing tree nearly as large as her entire person as she hung there, squashed in a death grip against the cold stone wall behind her. It didn’t take much to put two and two together to see she had tried to climb up out of its reach using another rope climbing system above her, only to be splattered against the wall like an oozequito.</p><p>The wooded fingers were dug deeply into the rock behind her, planted like roots and fixing her to that single spot. There would be no more running. She was dirty with mud and grey dust from the stone and a sticky dark substance was trailing slowly down the wall beneath her and soaked into her once yellow hair. Her mouth and teeth were stained red with fresh blood and she already looked like a ghost, if not for her lips constantly moving as she sung another verse even as her eyes stayed firmly shut.</p><p>“-<em>this is the song that never ends, and it goes on and on my friend,</em>” Despite being crushed by the massive hand she continued without pausing for a breath,</p><p>“-<em>some people, started singing it not knowing what it was, and they’ll continue singing it forever now because, this is the song that never ends</em>-“</p><p>It seemed the never ending song was the only thing that had kept the tree from making good on its threats to tear her to pieces, because it didn’t move apart from swaying along to the lyrics, even singing along between swears.</p><p>Raph looked to Leonardo, his eyes full of alarm. The look alone was enough for Leo to understand. Bee was looking bad. Real bad. And their younger brothers might not have even realized yet just how close to death their new friend was. But Leon knew. He could see it in Raph’s eyes and nodded that he understood as well.</p><p>“Leon, get her out of there. Now!” Raph shouted as he awakened his tonfa and activated his jutsu. “ You two, with me! Let’s burn it down!”</p><p>Raph ran forward with Donnie and Mikey right on his tail as Leo pulled out his odachi. Leonardo’s head was pounding again but he pushed the pain of his headache aside and did everything he could to focus on where exactly he wanted his portal to open up.</p><p>He swung in a wide arc, splitting the very fabric of the universe apart with a single stroke and behind Bee, on the rock face itself, a portal appeared. The pressure the singing tree had been putting on her caused the tree to shove her through the portal itself along with most of its arm, and Leo cut the portal off, slicing the appendage off just above the elbow. Leo opened the portal again at his side and through it came Bee and the heavy wooden arm. He dropped his odachi in a clatter to catch her before she hit the hard gravelly earth beneath them.</p><p>“Bee! <em>Bianca!</em> Vegetable lady who has <em>terrible</em> taste in plants and should really just stick with plastic succulents!”</p><p>Her eyes were closed but her lips kept moving as she started another verse of the song, this time barely more than a whisper. It trailed off as she caught her breath and opened her eyes painfully. Leo’s brow was furrowed in concern as he looked down at her.</p><p>“Bee you’re out you can stop singing. I’ve got you now buddy!”</p><p>He laid her gently on the floor and glanced back at his brothers across the plateau. Mikey was currently swinging his enflamed weapon around hitting the tree in as many places as possible while Donnie continued to pelt the main trunk with heavy blasts from his tech bo. A few branches smouldered but the tree was quick to put itself out by smothering any flames. Raph had his tonfa jutsu activated and used the extra reach to keep the tree far enough away that it couldn’t grab a hold of anyone at the same time. They were locked in a stalemate. Bee frowned up at Leonardo.</p><p>“ I told you four to leave this place.” She scolded lightly, reaching up to gently touch the bump on his head. He winced and her frown grew deeper. “You’ve already been hurt because of me. Do one of those nifty portals and take your brothers and go.”</p><p>Leo’s scowl smoothed out into a cheeky grin as he looked down at her and reached into his pack to pull out gauze as he scanned her body for the potential source of all of the blood.</p><p>“Yeah our dad says we don’t listen too good. <em>Gotta</em> work on that. And see I’d have <em>loved</em> to portal us out of here and call it a day, but my little brothers seem to have gotten super attached to you so I gotta try to save you right now.”</p><p>He unbuckled her overalls and pulled her filthy green shirt up to reveal the source of the dark blood that had been seeping through. A terrible gash across her lower abdomen was still oozing slowly when he pressed The thick pad of gauze firmly down onto it, inducing a gasp from her. A shout was heard behind him. He jerked his head around in time to see Mikey and Donnie had both been sent flying. Raph was currently locked head to head with the tree in his big Raph form, but branches were slowly sneaking their way into the form to reach his true body inside. Leo snatched up his odachi and pressed Bee’s hand firmly to the pad of gauze on her waist.</p><p>“Bee! Keep pressure on it, I’m gonna go save my brothers and win the fight as usual and then I’ll be right back to patch you up and-“</p><p>Bee grabbed his sash to hold him for a second. The tears brimming in her eyes finally spilled but her eyes were burning into him with a determined glare.</p><p>“You are good boys Leo. <strong><em>They are good boys</em></strong>. If it looks like you are going to lose the fight, leave me here as a distraction and just get them out. No matter <strong>what.”</strong></p><p> </p><p>
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</p><p>Without her big dorky glasses hiding them, her streaming eyes seemed to pierce straight through him like a katana with their intensity. It wasn’t a cold glare like ice though, it burned with white hot fire, searing whatever confident quip he had been about to share to a crisp. It died on his tongue and he gulped hard to swallow the words back down. He nodded once and she let her vice grip slip off him as she lay her head back down onto the ground with a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes again as she held the wad of bandages in place and began singing softly to herself again as Leo got up and dashed away.</p><p>“<em>This is the song that never ends-</em>“</p><p>Her voice was lost in the air as Leo ran to his brothers aid, their shouts and the trees bellows becoming the focus as he surveyed the battle.</p><p>“We need more firepower Leon!” Donnie shouted as he let loose another barrage of blasts. “It’s just moving too quickly for us to set it on fire, it keeps putting itself out!”</p><p>Now it was Raph’s turn to go flying as the tree yanked him forward and tossed him over its shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He landed high up on top of the rock wall.</p><p>“So we keep hitting it til it burns! Mikey, throw another flame tornado at it!”</p><p>He shouted from above as Mikey began spinning his kusari fundo around rapidly. A twirling mass of flames blasted forth and hit the tree directly, but the many small branches continued to pat themselves out wherever a flame caught.</p><p>The singing tree plucked a rock the size of a city mailbox from the ground with a roar and chucked it directly at Mikey.</p><p>“Enough of your miserable flames small one! Die!!”</p><p>There was no time to dodge but before it could knock his head clean off his shoulders, a portal opened, sucking it up and spitting it back out from another portal behind the tree, hitting it with its own attack.</p><p>Raphael reactivated his tonfa jutsu and jumped down onto the tree, smashing through branches and breaking off several on his descent, but a heavy root sprung up from the ground below to meet him hitting him directly in the plastron this time and knocking the wind out of him. It coiled around his chest and began to squeeze hard, eliciting a yelp from their eldest brother as it began doing its best to constrict the life out of him.</p><p>“Raph!” All three brothers shouted in fear as the eldest’s face began to turn blue from the lack of air; the panic on their faces raw and unfiltered.</p><p>Donnie leapt forward with his chainsaws buzzing and began hacking away, leaping up to chop branch after branch in an effort to reach their brother, but another root sprung up from below, it locked around his ankle and dashed him down onto the floor terribly with a crack. Mikey was holding his head in a panic, not knowing what to do and Leo was also frozen in fear for a moment when his younger twin didn’t make a sound after such a heavy hit.</p><p>Leonardo’s eyes dragged themselves away from his silent brother to Bee, remembering what he had only minutes ago promised to her silently with a nod. He was afraid the moment had come, that he’d failed to save the day and would wind up obeying her final wish.<br/>
She was lying there still as stone, but he could see her mouth was still moving. She was singing but he couldn’t hear a peep from how quiet she had become.</p><p>And that’s when it hit him. Singing. It was a Singing Tree. The stereo. The tree had started talking and moving as soon as Leo had shut off the terrible country music before, and when it had Bee in its clutches it hadn’t been able to make a move cause it was entranced by her song. That she had been and still was singing. She was still trying to paralyze the tree even now as they had fought it.</p><p>Leo turned to a teary eyed and panicked Michaelangelo with a toothy grin full of his usual confident swagger.</p><p>“Mikey, start building up the hottest, biggest flame tornado you possibly can and wait for my signal.”</p><p>“But it wasn’t working before Lee, and now Donnie is-“</p><p>“Miguel! Trust me!”</p><p>Mikey’s sad pout began to look hopeful, then determined as he nodded his affirmation and began spinning his weapon again. The flames shot out in a swirl but instead of shooting it off he kept spinning it more and more as the flaming vortex of heat and light built higher and faster.</p><p>The tree scowled at them, it’s eyes glowing green with hate and hunger,</p><p>“Your pathetic flames have yet to scorch my bark, I will devour these two and then you for the next course you sniveling-“</p><p>Leo cleared his throat and belted loud and crisp,</p><p>“<em>This is the song that never ends! And it goes on and on my friend</em>-“</p><p>The singing tree sputtered to a stop mid insult and snarled, letting go of Donnie’s leg to use that branch to try and cover its nonexistent ears. Leo slashed a portal open and hopped into it, reappearing through another next to Raphael in the branches and continuing the song.</p><p>“-<em>Some people started singing it not knowing what it was, and they’ll continue singing it forever just because-</em>“ his odachi chopped through the heavy wood and Raph tumbled downwards through the still branches of the singing tree, who was humming along despite losing its meal once again.</p><p>“<em>This is the song that never ends, and it goes on and on my friend-“</em> Mikey chimed in to sing too as Leo slashed another portal into existence below Raph and Donnie that deposited them next to Bee a safe distance away. He made another and hopped into it, appearing through another above the tree, then dropping through a new one, and reappearing again and again, singing the most annoying song in the world and surrounding the miserable singing tree with portal after portal.</p><p>Mikey’s tornado was bigger than they had ever seen before, he had to turn his own face away from it because the heat it was emanating was so intense. Leonardo leapt through one final portal and popped out in front of Mikey, bowing low and gesturing to the portal he left open like a magician revealing he had sawed his assistant in half.</p><p>“Now if you would Miguel, incinerate this tree so we can stop singing this annoying song.” He stepped out of the way and began belting out another verse as Mikey took aim and launched the massive swirling inferno directly into Leo’s portal. A torrent of flame shot out directly into the singing trees face, and vanished through a portal behind it, only to come flashing out through another and disappearing into yet another before reappearing again.</p><p>The single flaming tower traveled from one portal to the next burning more and more of the tree with every pass until it began to truly ignite on its own with a screech. The flames kept traveling back and forth through all the portals. Getting shot back towards the singing tree again and again only developed more and more heat. The smell of woodsmoke became heavy in the air and the artificial sky filled with thick white smoke as the tree screamed and burned, its bark curling up into embers and flying up into the air as the flames crackled happily as if they were glad of the work they were doing.</p><p>The tree shuddered, entirely engulfed in flames and burning on its own now as Mikey and Leo stepped back. Leo let the portals disappear, along with them the flaming swirl but the singing tree’s remains were fully engulfed in its own inferno now, now entirely blackened and charred, resembling a large campfire more than a tree now. Leo stopped singing to see if it would move.</p><p>They were met only by the roar of a happy fire and the crackling snaps of wood falling apart and turning to ash. Mikey jumped up and down and hugged Leo excitedly,</p><p>“We did it we did it! We burnt it up and saved the guys and Bee and-“ he cut his celebration short when he heard Raph wheezing behind them along with a small groan from Donnie.</p><p>“Wow I wish we had some s’mores to roast on that thing.” Raph was sitting up, gently cradling his plastron across the chest like every breath hurt.</p><p>Donnie was on his belly, laid out flat and breathing slowly with his eyes squeezed shut. His head was in his hands as though he was holding it together.</p><p>“Please,” he whispered, “please let’s all be more quiet. My head is going to explode.”</p><p>Mikey and Leo ran over, grateful to hear Donnie’s voice again even if it was to complain. Leo sympathized with Donnie’s headache, his own had taken a backseat but now it was roaring back up to the forefront of his mind. It was all he could do to keep himself from lying down with Donatello and doing the same thing. But he couldn’t rest yet.</p><p>“What about Bee? She okay?” Donnie slurred, squinting an eye open to look around for his new friend in hopes of spotting her. She was a few steps away breathing softly with her eyes closed still. The massive bleeding from her gut had thankfully stopped, the gauze stained heavily with red under her hand where she had held it firmly despite being on deaths doorstep.</p><p>Leo knelt down next to her, his bravado slipping off his face like extra cheese dripping off a pizza as he finally got a chance to inspect her injuries. There were more than he realistically could handle, even back home in the lair where they had a fully stocked medbay courtesy of Donatello. The most pressing issue was the amount of blood loss. He couldn’t give her more out in the field and regardless of if he had the equipment or not, they were turtles. She was a human. Their blood would not be compatible. She needed a human hospital soon or their small new friend would die without ever tasting true freedom from her family’s four hundred year curse.</p><p>“She’s not okay Dee.” Mikey gasped and made to run over but Raph held him back by the wrist as Leo continued. “I won’t be able to save her.”</p><p>He stood up and turned away from the looks of betrayal and hurt on his younger brothers faces, and the resignation on the elders. He slashed his odachi through the air and a portal appeared suddenly.</p><p>“But I can take her somewhere where maybe they can. I’ll meet you at the lair.” He scooped Bee up gently and deftly stepped through the portal. It snapped shut behind him and his brothers were left behind in the mystical greenhouse that had gone from being a magical menagerie of mystical plant life to a veritable death trap.</p><p>Raph dragged himself to his feet and motioned for Mikey to carry Donnie piggyback as he held his chest tenderly.<br/>
“You heard the man. Mad Dogs. Out.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have an epilogue planned that’ll be added in the next few days I promise!</p><p>This was my first fic I ever wrote and completed! I am so glad so many of you read it and have enjoyed it!</p><p>You’ve made me feel confident enough to write more!</p><p>Your comments have been so nice and made me real happy!</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ok so it’s I guess, TECHNICALLY another chapter. But I had to add it!</p>
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    <p>A strange hunchbacked homeless man burst through the doors of the Emergency Room of the big fancy hospital. He looked like his outfit had been scrounged from the bottom of a trashcan, the large coat and hat covered in stains and crumpled paper and gum. Normally a whack job like that walking in was an emergency all on it’s own but in his arms lay a small bleeding woman and nurses rushed over as he shouted dramatically,</p><p>“It was a hit and run, I saw it, I saw it, a car got her good and left her to die in the street! She’s lost a lot of her blood hurry hurry!”</p><p>A gourney was dragged over in and she was placed onto it delicately and whisked away, crowded by human doctors and nurses. The remaining nurses stopped the man to try and ask questions but he kept his distance, stroking an oddly discolored beard and wearing some comical sunglasses in the shapes of martini glasses. His skin almost looked green in the light and when a nurse commented, he laughed,</p><p>“Been green since the dot com crash durin’ the nineties son, gotta go now I gotta do other great deeds in the night!”</p><p>He slipped and fell on his way out the door, leaving behind a trail of garbage as he scampered back out into the night. A pair of larger male nurses ran out after him, sure that he clearly needed treatment as well, but they came back in empty handed a minute later. He had vanished as quickly as he had appeared.</p><p>————</p><p>“We gotta add that homeless outfit to our disguise closet Leo. You look great in those glasses.” Donatello commented as they watched the security footage of the night again on his tablet.</p><p>The boys were all crowded into the turtle tank and heading once again for the ‘Thistle and Branch’, a few days after the whole debacle. Each of them were in a various state of injury apart from Mikey who had miraculously remained unscathed. A small kitty cat bandaid decorated Leo’s forehead, Donnie’s head was wrapped all around like another bandanna, and Raph had his own bandages delicately wrapped around his chest area.</p><p>Mikey and Donnie had insisted on doing a drive by every day to see if Bee had returned yet.<br/>Three days had passed and each time they were greeted by a dark storefront. This time was no different, and you could practically taste the disappointment in the tank from all four brothers. Donnie leaned back in his seat and sulked.</p><p>“She was probably entered into the system as a Jane Doe, so we can’t look her up by name, but I COULD just follow the security footage to find out if she’s still in the hospital…” he rambled mostly to himself as he pulled up the hospital security footage on his tablet again, but Raph reached over to shut off the screen before he could get past the footage of the ER again.</p><p>“No Dee that wouldn’t be right to look at hospital camaras apart from what Leo was there for. It’s not our place.”</p><p>Mikey’s lower lip trembled.</p><p>“But, how are we gonna know she’s okay?”</p><p>“Hey Mikey, that looks like you.” Leo interrupted, pointing at the door to Bee’s shop.</p><p>Taped to the handle was a folded piece of paper with a poorly drawn turtle in orange ink.</p><p>“That <em>IS</em> ME!” Mikey hollered as he scrambled to jump out of the tank. He popped the latch and ran to the door to snatch up the folded paper and open it.<br/>The others hopped out and squished in close to read the orange ink over his shoulder as well.</p><p>It read<br/>‘I have been worrying about you all. Go to the back alley and come up the stairs to my place. Love-‘</p><p>It was signed with a drawing of a bumble bee. There was a great scrambling of limbs and boys as they all made a hasty dash for the back alley. Leo pulled out ahead in the lead and led the way up the staircase two at a time. The small landing had a bird feeder hanging off it and a short spikey cactus sitting next to the door.</p><p>“Glad we never made it to the desert part of her greenhouse, I feel like I’d <em>definitely</em> get a killer sunburn.” Leo noted as he snooped around the plant.</p><p>Donatello cleared his throat in an attempt to get Leo to pay attention again and raptly knocked on the door. All four turtles waited with bated breath, listening. From behind the door came a faint shuffling noise, which grew steadily louder, and the door rattled as someone peered through the peephole and began undoing what sounded like several locks.</p><p>“What’s she got in there bars of gold? It sounds like Fort Knox is opening up.” Leo cracked wise, but before Raph or Donnie could reprimand him the door swung open and there stood Bee smiling widely. She had a new pair of owlish glasses on and was wearing a simple cardigan and some shorts. On her feet were some soft looking penguin slippers. She seemed totally fine.</p><p>“You’re here! I’m glad you found the note! Please come in-OOF!” Her invitation was cut short by Mikey and Donnie who had jumped forward to hug her in relief.</p><p>Leo also looked like he was dying to join in on the group hug, but was resisting. Raph peeled the younger brothers off with a scolding as they stepped through the door.</p><p>“Knock it off you two, she just got outta the hospital you’re gonna hurt her.” Leo shut the door behind them as Mikey and Donnie pouted but pulled away. Raph smiled gently at Bee.</p><p>“We’re real glad you are okay Bee. These three’ve been driving me up the wall every day worrying about you.” He looked her up and down, surprised at how healthy she looked, not at all like they had all been imagining. “You look, fine. More than fine, you look great! What exactly did those doctors <em>do</em> cause maybe we should start visiting the real hospitals as well.”</p><p>She smiled at Leo now, and gestured for them to all follow her into her apartment so they could be more comfortable instead of standing crowded by the door.</p><p>“Well after I was dropped off at the ER, they took me into surgery and gave me transfusions of blood since I was nearly bled dry. There was some internal stuff going on too so it took a long time.” She paused for a moment. “I think Leo told them I was hit by a car? It was the perfect cover for all the trauma my body went through. But they sewed me up good!”</p><p>She pulled up the hem of her shirt and cardigan to reveal a long and shiny pink scar across her lower right abdomen. Leo’s eyes nearly bugged out of his skull at the sight, only a few days ago it had been a horribly ragged gash and now there weren’t even any stitches holding it together.</p><p>“Bee that’s impossible, how did it heal <em>so fast?”</em> He sputtered in shock, ducking low so he could investigate the scar up close, he ran a finger along the new pink glossy skin to feel if it was real and Bee giggled.</p><p>“Careful that tickles.” She lowered her shirts and wandered over to her kitchen, shuffling through a cabinet now. “Yeah it is impossible with just regular medicine, it was nearly impossible for me to sneak out of the hospital this morning I was still such a mess. But I came home so I could use this!”</p><p>She pulled out a small mason jar and held it out to him. He took it and all the boys inspected it noisily. It was full of something shimmering and golden like honey.</p><p>“This is something special I make that speeds up the healing process. Just a teaspoon of this elixir and within the hour I was back to normal! It even tastes sweet. I want you boys to have it.” She gestured at Raph’s wrapped chest and the boy’s bandaged foreheads. “Just a teaspoon each and within the hour you will be right as rain for any physical injury. When you run out let me know and I’ll make you some more. Here.” She also pulled four spoons out of a drawer and held them out.</p><p>“Take it now, and I promise by the time you get home you will be all better.”</p><p>Leo and Raph both hesitated at the thought of taking a magic potion, but to their surprise, Donnie was the one who took it first without missing a beat.</p><p>“But Donnie, it’s magic! You hate mystic stuff.” Raph gaped as Donnie shrugged.</p><p>“If Bee made it, I trust it.”</p><p>The elder two exchanged a look before shrugging and each taking a spoonful of the mystic medicine as well. Michelangelo politely declined his spoon.</p><p>“I don’t need it I’m totally fine baby! “</p><p>Raphael screwed the lid back onto the jar and tried to hand it back to her, “here you go Bee, we don’t want to take this from you. After all it is our fault that you got so messed up in the first place. We are sorry for all the trouble we brought you. “</p><p> </p><p>She shook her head no, and did not take the jar back. “No that is for you. I also owe each of you a plant of your choice as promised. And if it wasn’t for you guys…“</p><p>She surprised them all by suddenly stepping back and bowing deeply at the waist. “Thank you for everything you did for me. You are the ones who broke my families terrible curse and saved me from certain doom. I can finally rest easily knowing nobody will ever again be victim to the singing tree. You saved me and my family. I can never repay your kindness.”</p><p>She stood back up to grin at the four now awkward and blushing turtles.</p><p>“Now no more dramatics. I made dinner. Why don’t you stay a while?”</p><p>Leo was the first to recover, stepping forward with a cheeky grin and tossing an arm around her shoulders.</p><p>“We’d love to Bee, I’ll help you set up the table. Hope you are ready to empty your fridge, cause we are heavy hitters when it comes to home cooking. As long as there aren’t Brussel sprouts.”</p><p>They all laughed apart from Mikey.</p><p><em>“I like them</em>…” He pouted as he and Donnie sat down at her little dining table. Raph hung back a second to just take it all in, the warm apartment with some light piano music playing, his brothers cracking jokes at the table, Bee pointing at some dishes just out of her reach for Leo to grab. It felt nice.</p><p>“Alright we’ll stay, but you’ll have to pack us a doggie bag for our dad.” He offered as he took a seat as well. It seemed they had found another stray to add to the family, or maybe she had found them to add to hers.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks so much for sticking around to finish the story!</p><p>For a first time fic writer I had so much fun writing and am already writing my next fic with Bee and the Boys! </p><p>So although this story has ended you’ll see Bee and I around again very soon with another adventure!!</p>
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